Mysty Waters Book 1: Eyes Opened
by KaylaDestroyer
Summary: The pirates have barely gotten themselves back together from losing Gutt, before a new adventure comes crashing their way. A rabbit doe, who's been locked underground in her bedroom for twenty years due to her mysterious powers, catches Squint's attention via a dream. After going to rescue her, none of their lives are ever the same as they encounter magic, civilization, and love.
1. Chapter 1

Mysty Waters

Book 1: Eyes Opened

Chapter 1

Mystique sprinted through the Warren's halls, panting fearfully as her eyes flicked to and fro, feet pausing at every corner to check for passerbyes. Suddenly the sound of approaching footsteps caused her to freeze and gasp, before she broke one of the many rules she'd been raised under. Her younger sister, Melanie, rounded the corner, blinking her azure eyes in surprise. "Oh, mom; what are you doing here?" she asked, smiling softly. Mystique momentarily shut down, before composing herself.

"Just taking a walk; I thought Mystique might appreciate a little visit," she replied smoothly with a grin. Her voice no longer sounded like her own; it was now an exact replica of her mother's. Melanie's grin faltered slightly.

"Yeah, I worry about her sometimes. It's been years since I've talked to her. But...dad's rule is we need to leave her alone until she get's a handle on her powers," Mystique's lips trembled; she'd assumed long ago that her brothers and sisters merely thought of her as an old acquaintance they saw every now and then in passing. Melanie continued before she could reply. "I miss her a lot, too. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I could help her learn, you know?"

"Train her to focus and stuff," Mystique, not wanting her sister to see the tears gathering in her eyes, lurched forward and hugged her fiercely. Melanie jumped, before wrapping her arms around the older doe, hugging back. "Are you okay, mom?" she asked. Mystique smiled through her tears, stroking Melanie's ears affectionately, elated by the loving contact with her peanut-colored sister.

"I'm just so happy that you still love your sister. She's been so lonely; I wish your father would let you see her," she replied, barely managing to keep her voice above a sob.

"I'm just glad you're not _mad_," Melanie chuckled back, hugging her tighter.

"Promise me something, Melanie,"

"What?" the younger doe inquired, pulling back to look up at her. Mystique gently took hold of her chin, gazing at the beautiful doe her younger sister had become.

"Promise me...that you won't have any prejudice against Mystique. That, when you think of her, you'll remember the little kit you and your brothers and sisters used to play with and tease, the older girl who would take care of you, and always loved you," Melanie grinned.

"Oh mom, that's what I think of _every_ day," she replied. Mystique smiled back sadly.

"I'm glad," she said. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go find myself a snack," she continued, excusing herself hastily. With that she gave her sister's arms one last squeeze, before walking quickly onward. She soon came across her older brother, Sindur, (named after his ebony fur) and on impulse instantly shape-shifted into Melanie, her voice pitch heightening. The buck blinked in surprise, before smiling.

"Hey Melanie," he greeted, pausing to talk to her. "What's up?" Mystique did her best to give a cheery smile, heart pounding.

"Oh nothing; I was just on my way to ask dad if I could visit Mystique," Sindur blinked his lime green eyes in surprise once more.

"Mystique?"

"Yeah, I mean, we haven't _talked_ to her since we were kits. It just...it seems like she'd be kinda lonely," Sindur nodded, expression turning glum.

"Yeah; I miss her, actually. She was always fun to play with," Mystique allowed a grin to slip through, appreciative of her brother's attachment after so long.

"I miss her too...that's why I'm gonna' go talk to dad," With that she hurriedly pressed on, trusting her slightly faded memory to guide her out of the Warren; to freedom.

* * *

><p>Several minutes later, Mystique, still disguised as her sister, stared upwards at the small tunnel that led out of her long-time home. The peachy sky called to her, dyed different hues of orange and pink with the final lasting moments of this day. She couldn't help breathing in awe a moment; it had been so long since she'd been granted a look at the sky...or anything in the outside world for that matter. She forced herself to swallow, unable to keep herself from feeling a tad nervous. Her memories of the outside world were foggy, as she hadn't been allowed to venture beyond the warren walls since she was a very small kit; she hadn't left her bedroom in weeks. What awaited her up there? Freedom?<p>

Loneliness? More prejudice? Adventure? Possible friendship? She could only hope and wonder. "I'll never know if I don't take the chance," she chided herself. While she didn't necessarily want to leave her family, she was tired of being stuck here; exhausted of being a prisoner in her own home.

Her daily life was restricted to the dirt walls of her own room and her lonesome, wandering thoughts. She certainly wouldn't miss that. But still; she'd miss sweet little Melanie, and Sindur, and Katie, her mother as well. But they wouldn't miss her, they barely knew one another; the first time she'd seen Sindur in a month was just recently in Melanie's form. It was the first time they'd talked in at last half a year. And worse, he didn't even know which sister he was speaking to. Really, what would there be for them to miss?

Clenching her fists, Mystique took a quick glance around, before darting up the tunnel. She was ready to say goodbye to her family, and hello to the world.

Mystique burst into the open air, inhaling the fresh oxygen deeply through her nose. A small smile flit across her face at the bitingly cold air traveling into her lungs, before she exhaled back out. She sprinted for several meters, staying in the form of her sister. In the surrounding area, Melanie would easily be recognized and seen as non-threatening, so she would have to wait until she'd left home far behind before she could shed her disguise. She passed by many other creatures, awed by the new shapes and colors she saw and the sounds she heard; it had been so long since she'd laid eyes on a rabbit outside of her family, let alone a badger or an opossum. Nearly everyone gave her a quick greeting, causing Mystique's heart to soar; no stranger had given her a kind word in so long. She smiled and nodded back to each voice, drinking the experience in with glee.

"This is how my sister has been living," she pondered morosely. "She's run through this land her entire life, made friends, and seen more of the world than I ever have. Oh how I wish now more than ever I was her," A single tear dripped out of Mystique's eye as she ran, her smile turning bittersweet. "But now I can do better; I'll go farther from the Warren than anyone in my family has ever been. I'll see things they'll never see, and I'll do things they can't imagine; because I'll be gone. And I doubt any of them will notice,"

Mystique soon stopped, having come to a border of sorts. Her twitching nose inhaled a vaguely familiar scent; the scent of wolves. She hadn't smelt wolves since an incident in her early childhood; her first shift. The doe knew she was on the verge of entering dangerous, predator infested territory, but she would not turn back. She would not go back to her family, who had practically ignored her for her entire life. She would not resubmit to her father's crushing rule of staying in her bedroom for the rest of her life. The world outside was far too rich, far too exciting, far too new and explorable.

Wherever Mystique went; that place, those creatures, and any new experiences would be hers to cherish, each memory adding some new location to her private world. She would travel far and wide and do things she was sure no rabbit had done before. For here, out in the open, where there was no one remotely close to her and she was the target, Mystique felt no fear. She could use her powers as she pleased; she could play and experiment with them, she could practice, she could train, she could develop her Gifts. And now, there was no one to stop her. Taking a deep breath, she slowly stepped over the imaginary threshold into predator territory; into the land feared by anyone she'd ever met. She took a few steps into the unfamiliar area, although practically everything had seemed new the moment she'd left the Warren.

A large grin spread across her face, eyes lifting up to the sunset that dazzled her mind like nothing had before. Sunlight bathed the rabbit doe's face as she allowed her true colors to show, and her voice to become hers again. The sky slowly became dark, with bright little white spots she vaguely remembered being called 'stars' appearing. "I'm free,"

* * *

><p>Squint settled into his half-coconut shell bed, covering himself with a coconut leaf blanket as the stars began to twinkle into existence. With a sleepy grin, he lifted his knife, point up, then tossed it into the air. The weapon spun upwards for a moment, before spinning back down to the buck below. Squint caught his knife easily, paw gripping the hilt so that the blade was pointed at his own chest. He paused for a moment, holding the knife in his paw. "Hey, Gupta?" His elder brother turned over to look at him, looking half annoyed and half sleepy.<p>

"What?" he grumbled.

"Tell me 'bout the stars again," Squint requested, turning his head back to the sky.

Gupta didn't try to control his laughter. "That old story? Why? Haven't told you that one since you were, like, three," he questioned.

Squint rolled his eyes, spinning his knife in his fingers, watching it spiral. They were technically supposed to be sleeping; but as long as Raz didn't find out, what was the harm? "I can't sleep. Just tell me, ok?" he asked again, becoming agitated.

The badger grinned teasingly. "Might I ask why that story in particular?" he probed.

"'Cuz you always said it was the only one that ever got me ta go ta sleep and shut up when I was little," Squint replied sourly, wishing to hear the story already.

"Were little? You still are!" Gupta laughed, ducking his head to avoid the knife his younger brother hurled at him.

"Shut up!" he hissed. "Just tell me before we get caught! You wanna' make Raz mad?" Just because he was her secret-favorite didn't mean he wanted to suffer her wrath for staying up late.

Gupta laughed. "Ok, ok, fine. Anyway... well, ya know how the sun disappears?" he began, feeling slightly immature for bringing up a toddler story.

"Yeah," Squint replied, laying his knife across his stomach and setting his paws behind his head.

"Well... the sun gets tired like we do," Gupta continued. "So it goes under the waves to sleep. But it doesn't want us to get lonely in the dark, so the moon goes up there to keep us company,"

"What about the stars?" Squint pressed, closing his eyes.

"Well, see, those are the moon's friends. The moon disappears every morning, so one of those little stars becomes the new moon. And another one always replaces that one, so it'll never be fully dark," Gupta explained. "The stars are up there to keep us company, and keep us safe while we sleep." He sighed. "Happy now?"

No response.

He looked over at his brother. Squint was sound asleep. Gupta chuckled. "Works every time,"

* * *

><p><strong>Told ya'll this was comin' :) So this is the story that MBSAVfan1 and I have been working on, and we've gotten really far on it, but we're still working on it. <em>BIG ANNOUNCEMENT<em>: Because of my Aspergers, my parents got me tested by some specialists, and they said I needed to severely restrict my time looking at a screen. So, even though I've got a total of seven chapters prepared to upload, including this one, it may take me a while to get them all posted _and_ prepare more and get _them_ posted. Plus I'm still working on my original book. But the whole training system to get rid of my ticks should only be 3 months, so...hopefully nothing will be set too far back.**

** Anyways, please review and tell me what you guys think! And sorry about the last chapter I posted on 'Rescued Us'; I forgot to sign off properly again!**

**In Christ Alone,**

**KaylaDestroyer (Gal. 2:20)  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Mysty Waters

Book 1: Eyes Opened

Chapter 2

Mystique spent the night out in the open field, sprawled in the grass under the stars. She'd gazed at them for hours, finding amazing pictures in them and imagining some of her own. The next morning she awoke and stretched her body out in the lush, green grass, murmuring with a smile before letting out a yawn. Upon waking properly for the day, she stood and made her way to a grove of trees, noting the thicket of berry growing bushes down below. She grabbed a large leaf and folded it into a small bowl shape, before proceeding to pick her breakfast. Once she had filled the leaf with a number of berries, Mystique crawled underneath the bushes and squeezed herself into a protective little hollow, surrounded completely by greenery, and ate her breakfast in peace. Oddly enough, despite having spent her entire life in solitary confinement, she took pleasure in hiding herself away to eat.

"I guess I'll always spend some of my time alone," she murmured thoughtfully, scrutinizing a blackberry, before popping it into her mouth and chewing. After her tenth berry, suddenly, a chill went through her. She stiffened, ears raising, half nibbled berry loose in her hand.

"What...?"

Eyes narrowing, she carefully sniffed the air. It smelled fresh; so many new smells. She couldn't quite determine what was making her so tense. She carefully turned in a circle, ears perked, eyes wide, keeping her footsteps silent. This feeling was unfamiliar to her; what had her so tense? The berry slid from her finger and rolled away.

She turned toward it...and saw two eyes staring right at her.

With a gasp she back-pedaled out of the bush, dropping her remaining berries and landing on her behind; a position that forced her to crawl backwards. Around the bush came a large, grey wolf, growling at her and baring it's teeth, obviously intent on turning her into breakfast. Fear taking over, Mystique sprang to her feet and began to sprint, going as fast as her rabbit feet could carry her. She panted with fear an exhaustion, breath ragged, desperate to escape. She didn't know how much physical damage a stronger form would do, if she would be able to defend herself. Eventually she tripped over a stone, flinging herself headlong and turning in the air, rolling several times, before harshly ramming into a large log. With a grunt of pain she stopped, laying flat on her back.

The wolf approached, growling dangerously. Mystique gasped and sat up, pushing back against the log in an attempt to escape. She could go no where. Her eyes widened as the creature came closer, her tiny chest heaving fearfully as her body trembled. An odd sensation overtook her stomach, slowly spreading throughout the rest of her form. Then it hit her; her body was trying to shift without conscious command. And this time, there was no reason for her to be afraid of it.

Mystique squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them again, she was low in the grass. She felt considerably colder, and the grass tickled with more intensity than before. She found herself staring down at a long, scaled, lithe body, emerald green, with electric green patterns spreading down her back.

She'd become a highly venomous, bright green snake.

The wolf backtracked a few steps, apparently startled as the tiny rabbit was suddenly replaced by venomous snake. Mystique hissed, two inch fangs bared at him. She waited as the wolf weighed his options a moment; if a fight ensued, he could possibly die from a bite. But if he won, her meat would serve a decent meal. Would he take the chance? Mystique was highly on the defensive; she was _not_ afraid to strike the wolf, and if a fight ensued she could easily do so. Speed was her friend as a snake or a rabbit, and she could implement it quite skillfully.

She raised up arched her body forwards, hissing a second time. The fangs being on either side of her top jaw was a strange experience; she was used to having her front teeth be the long ones. The fact that said fangs folded inwards to fit into her lower jaw was even more strange, so she opted to keep them out for the time being. The wolf quickly lost his courage, turning and loping away fearfully. Mystique heaved a relieved sigh, shifting back to her birth form. "That was an adventure," she muttered with a grin. With new found confidence in herself, Mystique retrieved her bowl and berries, continuing lunch as she walked.

The warm sun felt amazing beaming down her shoulders, so good Mystique practically glowed with happiness. "Its so... beautiful out here..." she murmured to herself. She'd tried to see things from her parents' point of view; indeed, it was a possibility her powers were dangerous. But she was strictly forbidden to use them, ever. For awhile when she was young, she practiced her telekinesis on a small stone Melanie had brought her...Until her father caught her and promptly took away her stone, punishing the both of them for disobeying. "I wonder..."

She glanced around, wiping a speck of blackberry juice from her mouth. She was getting a bit thirsty. "Hmm..." She bent down, examining the grass. Here in the forest everything was covered in a fine dew. Closing her eyes, she attempted to feel around with her mind, maybe get herself a drink...

After concentrating for several moments, Mystique opened her eyes to find that a mile's radius of dew surrounded her in levitation, floating in the air by her command. Grinning, she raised her paws and brought the droplets together, settling them all into her cupped paws. Then she took a long, appreciative drink, sighing afterwards. She then stood still, looking around thoughtfully. She wanted to go farther, somewhere even newer; a place unrelated to where she'd come from. She would walk to the end of the world, if she had to, and then come back to tell her family all she had seen.

* * *

><p>The day came and went. Mystique had covered a generous amount of ground, drinking in every tiny detail available; every color that met her eyes, every smell that wafted into her nose, everything that passed her by. She appreciated the cool, gentle breeze that ruffled her cobalt and violet fur whenever it passed. But so far, her favorite thing yet was flowers. They came in so many shapes, sizes and colors- the only thing all had in common was how pretty they smelled. One in particular, a little pink one, smelled so nice she just had to pick it, tucking it beside her ear for safe keeping. Mystique checked the sky, sunset was coming.<p>

Soon it would be dark, cold; she needed to find herself somewhere safe to sleep. While resting in the open grass the night before had been glorious, that incident with the wolf had been a bit of a wake-up call. What if a predator were to sneak up on her in the night? Her reaction time would assumably be a bit slow in sleep, and if a hungry carnivore should come about...well, Mystique had just obtained her freedom. She wasn't about to risk losing it.

"Maybe..." she muttered to herself, before bending down and digging into the dirt. Her burrowing skills weren't anything special, but her arms were fast and her claws were sharp. She had soon dug herself a nice tunnel, before working on a nice, open little burrow room. Mystique smiled in satisfaction at her work. Sometimes it was just good to be a rabbit. "I'll stay here tonight," she decided. "Then move on tomorrow,"

She then climbed back out to watch the sunset, awed by the multicolored sky. "Maybe someday I'll touch it," she mused fancifully to herself, reaching one paw out to the beautiful spectacle. "I can grab the colors and bring them home, so no one can say I'm nothing more than a dangerous monster," she determined, clenching her fist. "Then dad will let me see Melanie and Sindur and Katie...and mom..." Mystique telekinetically made herself a comfy little bed of leaves, using cotton as a pillow, and an especially large leaf for a blanket. She situated herself so she was staring up at the stars as she lay on her side, snuggled down and warm. "So pretty..." she murmured to herself.

"I missed you, Stars..." And she sunk into dreams.

* * *

><p>In her dream, Mystique found herself in a strange, new place; one she had never seen before. She stood upon something cold and white, something large and wide, rocking gently back and forth. She was on the edge, and before her spread a vast, blue expanse. She could only assume it was water, yet...she had never seen so much water in her life. A salty breeze wafted through her fur, slightly stinging her nose. She liked it. She inhaled deeply through her mouth, tasting salt for the first time, before exhaling into relaxation.<p>

"Whoa..." a voice murmured from behind. Mystique turned sharply to see, lo and behold, a rabbit buck, standing some meters behind her on the white expanse. His fur was dark grey, ruffled and puffy, wild and dirty looking, and he smelled heavily of salt. Around his midsection was a strip of seaweed, wrapped tightly to suppress his extremely fluffy fur. The buck's ears hung limp against the back of his head, which tilted at her in wonder with a soft grin. Her heart froze mid beat, eyes widening with terror. Was this a new torture-ee?

Would he fear her as her family did? How had she even come up with him in the first place? She had never seen in _detail_ a rabbit outside of her direct family.

* * *

><p>Squint couldn't help letting his jaw drop with awe. All around him, normally stationary objects were floating in the air with the greatest of ease, as though gravity had temporarily ceased to control them. A deep exhale sounded from behind, and he turned to see none other than a mysterious, rabbit doe standing at the edge of the ship. As she exhaled, the floating objects gently lowered back to the ship's deck. "Whoa," he murmured, tilting his head with wonder. The doe spun around with a gasp, eyes wide. Squint was amazed at her fur color; her overpelt was dark violet, while her underpelt was cobalt blue, her ears edged with it as well.<p>

Her eyes were a metallic shade of gold, piercing yet fearful, and something about her presence made him shiver. He knew this was all a dream, and yet...something about her seemed all too real. She gazed at him fearfully, as though she expected him to attack outright. The buck took a step closer. "Show me," he said.

* * *

><p>"W-what?" Mystique stuttered disbelievingly. Had she heard him right?<p>

"Show me how you did that," the buck elaborated, eyeing her with intensity.

"Oh...I...I'm not very practiced. I...I might hurt you," she replied, glancing away shamefully. The opposite rabbit scoffed.

"Big deal. Pretty sure I've been in worse situations," he replied nonchalantly, crossing his arms.

"O- Ok..." Swallowing, Mystique closed her eyes and concentrated, focusing on all the things around her. The fruit, the vines, the bones that made her uncomfortable to look at, and commanded them to rise. She felt the energy flow gently around her, the objects slowly obeying her will. She felt her hands shake a bit; she'd never tried to lift this much before. In reality, she'd never really tried to lift anything. "_Mm_..." an irritated, slightly pain moan escaped her lips, and she could feel her shoulders begin to tremble from the strain.

But something made her keep going. After all, if this was just a dream, what harm could come from it? Perhaps this would help her in the real world. "Whoa... H-hey, put me down!" demanded the buck's voice. Instinctively she opened her eyes, and her concentrating broke. With a cry her dream-company crashed back to the large, strange white mass, along with a multitude of other objects, completely in sync.

The impact made a loud thud, and Mystique couldn't help but squeak and jump.

* * *

><p>Mystique's eyes flew open as a similar bang from above her sounded from all around; the impact so great the earth trembled a moment. She remained in her bed, painfully aware of a burning sensation in her lungs, breath coming in strangled gasps. She'd never really had the chance to exert herself before, so the feeling of being winded and out of breath was a new, unfamiliar, and quite frankly <em>unwelcome<em> one to her. "I... I..." she panted, feeling utterly exhausted even though she'd just had a good eight hour sleep. "What _was_ that?"

* * *

><p><strong>Surprise surprise, I found time to update! And I have good news; it turns out I only have a very mild case of Aspergers, so mild I practically <em>don't<em> have it. But my hemispheres are still imbalanced, which is the cause of my 'stims'. So I still have a major restriction on screen time, but it won't last forever. Thank you to:**

**Bombina**

**for reviewing the previous chapter! Please review and tell me what you guys thought of this one!**

**In Christ Alone,**

**KaylaDestroyer (Gal. 2:20)**


	3. Chapter 3

Mysty Waters

Book 1: Eyes Opened

Chapter 3

Squint sprung up with a gasp and a strangled moan, before shaking his head. The sensation of being weightless before crashing painfully onto the deck still clung to him. "Oh...man. What...happened?" he muttered. "Who _was_ that chick...?"

"You okay?" Gupta asked from the side. Squint looked over to him, panting, before giving a slow nod.

"Yeah...I think so," he replied in the most offhanded manner he could.

Gupta squinted at him disbelievingly. "You think so or you _know_ so?" he questioned further. Squint swallowed audibly, heart still beating faster than usual from the all-too-real dreamscape.

"Um... yeah. I guess so," he muttered, shrugging.

"That's not an answer," Gupta deadpanned.

"Why not?" Squint asked, quirking a brow.

"'Cuz I said so," the badger replied evenly.

"That's a stupid reason," Squint snorted, crossing his arms and looking pointedly away.

"Says you," the badger replied, rolling his eyes. "Besides, I'm _older_ than you. That makes me right," Squint scoffed.

"Since when?" he demanded incredulously.

"Since we were kids and Raz was sick and let me be in charge of you," Gupta replied cheekily.

"Dude, you were _five_ I was _two_ and you almost let me cut my fingers off!" Squint sassed, holding up his fingers for emphasis on the ages, then wiggled said digits.

"Still. She said you had to listen to me," Gupta persisted with a grin.

"She was delirious!" Squint insisted, throwing up his paws.

"She was not!" Gupta countered, expression turning annoyed.

And so it began. Small little disagreements often led to their typical early-morning brawls that resulted in broken objects; whether it be bones or things around the room, or blood, or both. In an instant the two brothers were both tumbling across the room, biting, punching, and kicking.

* * *

><p>Mystique fearfully crawled out of the burrow she'd made, gazing around nervously. Trees all around her had been uprooted and thrown around, rocks were strewn all over the land, and the earth itself was churned up terribly. "Oh," she muttered shakily. "I did all this...no one is safe around here," She could make out small, tree-dwelling creatures stumbling around dizzily, looking to find the perpetrator of their homes' destruction. With a whimper she shot out of the burrow and sprinted away, tears glistening in her eyes. Where could she go?<p>

What place was safe for both her and those around her? Where could she live that her telekinesis wouldn't be overly dangerous until she gained a hold of it? Her eyes widened as she came to a stop, looking around. Grass and dirt spread in all directions around her, but she knew there was more. There was a place the likes of which she'd only glimpsed in a dream, somewhere even newer that she'd never been in reality. And there was someone out there, just one who didn't fear her. "I have to find the water,"

Mystique then ran till her legs just couldn't take it anymore. She found herself in an exhausted, stumbling walk; between the show of telekinetic ability and running alike, she was dreadfully tired. She at last found herself at a small pond of sorts, sandy gravel beneath her pads. Breathing heavily, she stumbled to the waters edge and dropped to her knees. Cupping her paws, she plunged her arms into the cool water and proceeded to take a long drink...before promptly recoiling and hurrying to spit it out. Choking and sputtering, she wiped furiously at her mouth in surprise. "Oh yuck!"

This water was... salty? Why was there a little salt water pool here when the ocean still _had_ to be miles away? Then again... she hadn't been out here in years. She had no idea where she _really_ was. A determined frown etched itself on her features. "I'll find him..." she murmured. "I will,"

She had to find him; that one person that wasn't afraid of her. She just _had_ to. He was real, she knew it. He _had_ to be.

* * *

><p>Raz suddenly stomped her foot in between the two warring brothers, forcing them apart. "Alright you two, that's enough!" she demanded irritatedly. "Now get yer' mornin' chores done before I keelhaul ya' <em>togethah'<em>," the jill commanded, moving them further apart with the aforementioned foot. The rabbit and badger growled sulkily before complying, going their separate ways for their morning duties. Squint's job was to pile the fruit in specified areas around the ship if it happened to get dislodged and roll around. Every morning it seemed this needed to be done. As Squint worked, he thought back over his dream.

It seemed more like an actual memory in his mind than a figment of his subconscious, as though it was all real. His eyes glazed over as he piled and stacked, re-imagining the spectacle of it all levitating at the strange doe's command. The weapons, the fruit, the vine ropes; all had responded to her, even his own body. The temporary feeling of being weightless could still make his stomach tingle, even from memory. A smile slipped onto his face at the memory of her appearance; her violet fur was striking and beautiful against the stark white deck, and her cobalt underside was especially pretty. Her eyes were, for lack of a better phrase, eye catching. The metallic gold was a color he'd only seen on Raz's face before, and now...he rather liked it.

"I wonder where she came from," he muttered to himself, studying his warped reflection in an apple.

* * *

><p>Mystique stared out at the vast blue expanse before her, feeling incredibly, insignificantly, <em>tiny<em>. Each of those waves, she didn't doubt, was big enough to drown her, gentle as they may seem, lapping at the sandy shore. "Wow..." Her ears quivered in excited nervousness. "Its so...so..._huge_," There was really no better way to describe it. Swallowing, feeling both excited and frightened, she inched closer to the water.

She dipped in one toe and promptly scrambled away with a squeal. "Cold, cold!" Once she'd put a good three feet between her sensitive paws and the dreadfully chilly water, she sat herself down in the warm sand. This seemed like the same general thing as her dream; the small of salt in the air and the taste on her tongue. She vaguely remembered this was called an ocean, and it supposedly stretched around the whole world. It was good she'd found this, as she was _sure_ this was where that buck she'd seen would be, but... if what they said was true, and one could really get _anywhere_ via the ocean... She could be waiting here her whole life and never find him.

"Oh..." Sighing, she flopped back into the cushiony grains and watched the clouds shift to new and different shapes, the sun tickling her face. For a long time she lay there, running her fingers through the sand, enjoying the ocean breeze and the warm, cheery light. "Whoever you are..." she hummed to herself. "_Where_ver you are... I'm going to find you,"

After another while, Mystique carefully sat up, discovering that the grains of sand stuck to her fur. She rose to her feet and proceeded to shake them off, giggling slightly as her ears flopped across her face. She pulled them back into their regular position behind her head. To her confusion, a sharp sting suddenly appeared in her arm, and she grabbed said appendage with a gasp of pain. After holding it for a moment, she shakily parted her fur and attempted to find what had injured her. She soon found a rather large thorn lodged into her flesh, and gave a wince. Feeling too squeamish to touch it, she opted to pull it out with her telekinesis.

Seizing control of the thorn with her mind, she tried to gently pull it out. The sensation of something being plucked from her arm was new and uncomfortable, but Mystique supposed that not _all_ new experiences were meant to be enjoyable. After a few moments she was able dislodge it completely, and telekinetically threw it into the waves. Once sure she was safe from its harm, Mystique began to lick the puncture wound clean of blood. Then, however, she began to feel oddly woozy, and fell back into the sand with a moan. Her vision began to swim, the sun's light slowly dimming. "Oh, what...?" she muttered.

A large shadow came into her vision as a deep chuckle rumbled in her ears, before everything faded to black.

* * *

><p>Mystique woke up feeling heavy and weightless at the same time. She felt far too exhausted to move, like all her limbs were a thousand pounds of cold, heavy rock. And yet the strange sensation of floating oddly filled her as well. What was going on? She attempted to sit up, but immediately abandoned the idea as her head spun violently and her stomach turned and she very nearly threw up. "O- Oh goodness..." She forced a deep, shuddering breath, stilt feeling nauseous.<p>

She felt sluggish and slow, confused. "What... where..." Mystique strained her ears, desperate to here something, anything. Wherever she was was pitch black; so dark she couldn't see her toes wiggle just a few inches away. She listened closely for several minutes, sensitive ears picking up something. It sounded like words, but they were muffled and unclear, barely above a whisper. Likely whoever the voices belonged to were at least one or several rooms away.

It reminded her of the times she could hear her siblings laughing and talking from her own bedroom, wishing she could be with them. "He-hellooo?" she called, her voice soft and timid. "Is someone there? Where-where am I?" Suddenly light flooded in through an opened door, shining on the doe brightly. She gasped and cowered against the back of what she knew now to be a cage suspended high in the air. The chain that dangled it from the ceiling creaked as the cage swung backwards slightly, only scaring Mystique further.

"Hello there, little one," a deep voice sneered. He appeared no more than a shadow to her, exactly like the one she'd seen before blacking out.

"W-who are you?" she whimpered. "Why am I here?" The stranger chuckled once more, reaching inside to her. Mystique's golden eyes widened at the long, vicious looking claws on the creature's fingers, and she cowered back even farther. Something sharp yet gentle stroked her head, causing her to shiver fearfully.

"I am no one to be trifled with," he replied. "Like you," Mystique's eyes widened; was this creature really like her? Did he share similar, maybe even the _same_ powers as she did? Then again, if he did, then why lock her up and put her in this cage? Suddenly her captor left, lighting torches as he exited. Mystique noted that several half coconuts lay on the ground, and an idea began to form.

* * *

><p>Squint leaned against the side of the ship. It had been several weeks since he'd had the dream, and he quite missed the intriguing doe. He thought of her everyday, and longed to dream with her again. He knew she hadn't been something he'd made up; Squint wasn't normally known for being a deep thinking rabbit, but he was more than just a crazy killer. He'd heard of people sharing dreams before, and he'd certainly felt <em>something<em> strange around the doe. She looked, acted, and sounded too real; she existed somewhere, and he wanted to find her. As his eyes passed over the waves, they picked up on a strange object floating in it.

Perking up, he leaned out and squinted for a moment, before realizing the object was half a coconut. And it appeared there was something inside of it. "Hey Raz!" he called over his shoulder. "Did anybody lose half a coconut recently?" The kangaroo jill hopped over with a questioning look, before pulling out Gutt's spyglass and peering out at the waves. Her face slackened with shock.

"I think it's some sort of message!" she exclaimed, before appearing to look harder. "There's a whole trail of 'em!"

* * *

><p><strong>And I'm back! I'm getting better at managing my screen time; plus, I get two hours on weekend days. XD Thank you to: <strong>

**Laughs4life**

**Corywolf**

**Bombina**

**for reviewing the previous chapters! Please review and let me know what you all thought of this one! **

**In Christ Alone,**

**KaylaDestroyer (Gal. 2:20)**


	4. Chapter 4

Mysty Waters

Book 1: Eyes Opened

Chapter 4

Squint found himself a vine, quickly hooked it to a nearby sword embedded hilt-deep in the deck, tied it to himself, and walked overboard, curious. He found himself dangling an inch above the waves, startling a school of fish into scattering. He grabbed the nearest coconut, the first in the row. He examined it; the inside white edible fruit was still smooth and equally distributed- it couldn't have been in the water very long. Salt water would eat away at any fruit. Two days old at the most...Was there another ship out here?

Possibly with a prisoner on board, it seemed.

"_SQUINT_!" Raz's voice suddenly yelled down at him. "IF YOU AREN' UP HERE IN THE NEXT THREE SECONDS YER' GONNA_ GET _IT!" Squint rolled his eyes and tucked the coconut under his arm, before climbing back up the side of the ship. He hopped up into the vertical edge, unhooking the vine and peering back inside the coconut. A leaf parchment was rolled up in the bottom, tied with a tiny, thin vine. Tilting his head, he carefully lifted it out and untied the vine, then unrolled it and began to read. "It's addressed to...'The One Without Fear',"

Gupta rose a brow. "What in sea and sky does _that_ mean?" he questioned. Squint shrugged.

"I dunno," he replied, then unrolled it further. "It says... 'Whoever's reading this, I have to make this quick. You know who I am. We've seen each other before. You weren't afraid and asked me to show you. I showed you. I'll show you again, but you have to help me!'"

"'Follow the fruit.'," His eyes widened. "No... no way. _No_ way..."

"Squint, who is this from?" Silas inquired.

"I...I don't know her name," the buck replied, paws shaking. "But we need to find her,"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Raz interrupted, snatching the parchment away and eyeing it suspiciously. "Yer' sayin' this is a _note_ from a _girl_?" she demanded angrily, protective side flaring up.

"Eh...I saw her in a dream," Squint replied uneasily. "But...I _knew_ she was real, somehow. And, now she's asking..._me_ for help," he finished, placing a paw on his chest with an awed expression. Raz blinked in confusion.

"Why would she ask _you_?" Gupta inquired doubtfully. Squint fixed him with a deep stare, one that rattled the badger's nerves unnaturally.

"Because _I'm_ The One Without Fear,"

* * *

><p>Mystique had never been more miserable. Even her time back in her boring, empty room had been <em>paradise<em> compared to this. Her cage constantly swung back and forth, and she could only assume they were on open waters, waves supplying her with the sickening motion. Between that and being suspended to high in the air, she was feeling dreadfully ill. When her stomach wasn't churning, it was forcefully emptying itself. She was cold and hungry; this room had no insulation and seemed to emanate cold; for those few moments when she'd been 'greeted', she'd seen herself in a room of ice. And whoever was holding her captive here hadn't give her anything to eat in three days; she was feeling constantly dizzy with hunger pains.

"Oh..." she moaned miserably as she lay on her side, curled up, clutching her stomach. "Whoever you are... please come. And _soon_,"

* * *

><p>The pirates had been tracking the mysterious girl from Squint's dream for three days. The coconut trail was extremely helpful, but disappeared after day two. Thankfully Raz had gained their heading, and was able to keep the ship on course. While the crew definitely believed in the doe (her message was proof enough of her existence) they were beginning to think Squint's mental state had dropped even further. He would hardly talk to them, and for some reason refused to say anything about their current prize. He simply stood on the very edge of the ship's bow, gazing out at the ocean, eyes watching for the slightest sign of the doe's current ride. Neither did he eat nor drink, which worried his family profusely.<p>

Squint was known for his appetite; despite having such a small stomach, his unnaturally speedy metabolism gave him the ability to eat as much as he wanted. And he was _constantly_ hungry. But when it came to this strange, mysterious doe, he seemed to have lost the ability to feel hunger and thirst. All he wanted was to find this girl. Although, what he planned to do with her once he _did_ find her, none of them could decide. They knew the buck wasn't very romantic in the slightest...or perhaps he simply hadn't found a girl that satisfied his grisly tastes. The only thing he told them was that she was extremely special; whether that meant she looked different, or had special abilities, or something different altogether the pirates didn't know.

Finally, at high noon on the third day, Squint's voice rang across the ship with long-missed pitch and volume. "VESSEL OFF THE STARBOARD BOW!" The rest of the crew eagerly gathered to try and observe the vessel from afar, Raz abandoning the wheel to join them and look out her spyglass. After peering for several suspense-filled moments, she gave a nod and lowered the instrument.

"It's anothah' berg, very much like ours, with two occupants on the top deck. Silas!" she commanded, holding an arm up. The petrel obediently perched on the offered appendage, ready for his assignment. "Fly ovah' there and scout 'em out. Remain undetected," The petrel gave a small bow before taking to the sky.

"_Oui oui, mademoiselle_," he replied. Squint watched him fly over with nervous agitation. He clearly wanted to zip across the water and get the rescue process out of the way, but kept himself in check.

"Squint?" Raz asked. The rabbit turned to her curiously.

"Yeah, Razzie?"

"You've done yer' duty, mate; we found her," the jill said warmly. "Why don't you go have some lunch, get a nice drink of watah', then go take a nap?" When he looked ready to protest, she added, "We ain't gonna' be makin' any attempts today. And besides denyin' yer'self food and drink, ya' haven't slept at all for the past two nights." The buck heaved a sigh, but complied. After eating a meager meal of one watermelon, and drinking about five ounces of fresh water, he retired to his coconut shell and fell asleep, much to the crew's relief.

* * *

><p>Squint's dream, for the first time in a long time, held that strange, tinge of reality once more. He was somewhere dark, with very little light to see where he was going. "H-hello?" a weak, feminine voice croaked. The buck spun around to see the violet and cobalt doe from before, only this time she was in terrible shape. Eyes wide, he raced over and knelt down by her prone figure, oddly disturbed by the sight of her weak body curled up on one side, clutching her stomach as she panted like a dog in need of water. Something creaked, and he looked up to see cage bars surround them, the area inside said cage being enormous. Looking back down, he noticed she was severely emancipated, as though she hadn't eaten in weeks.<p>

"Who did this to you?" he demanded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and holding her up against his chest. "Tell me!"

"I don't know," she whimpered feebly. "He, he shot me with a strange thorn, and then...and then he captured me in this awful cage, and he never fed or watered me. I...I..."

"Hey, hey, it's okay, my crew and I are coming, you're gonna' be fine," Squint consoled. The doe shivered.

* * *

><p>Mystique didn't even have the strength to open her eyes again the next time she awoke. She groaned, voice cracking. Her lips were dry and cracked and hurt to move. She'd dreamt of him again, begging for help. She couldn't last much longer, she <em>needed<em> to eat. She'd never been so hungry it hurt, but now she had. It felt as though she was being repeatedly stabbed, the pain pulsing and searing hot.

"H- Help..." she murmured to the thin air. She shuddered as her voice cracked painfully. "I need... I... nee..." and her voice died away. What was she to do? She was cold and tired, dehydrated and weak with hunger. All that still remained the same was her hearing.

She managed to straighten out her ears and listen all the time, hoping to hear someone coming, hoping they'd have some water and something she could eat. All she ever heard was the occasional muffled conversation and footsteps of someone passing by her cell. She heaved herself onto her side. She gazed longingly at the tiny window, far above her. Although really, it wasn't a window. A piece of the cell had chipped away to reveal a tiny, two inches hole. Far too small she could ever escape, but at least it let in just a tiny spot of light.

It gave her hope, and slight peace. She found the light comforting. If only she could be out there with it.

"Please...please come..." she begged, her body going limp as her eyes closed. "Please..." And with that she fainted.

* * *

><p>Squint sat up with a deep gasp, clutching his heart and panting, eyes wide. This time had been more akin to a nightmare. Who could be so cruel? Gutt, evil as he was, always gave the crew at least the bare minimum of fruit. The rest of their meals they had gleaned from other sources; Squint particularly had a taste for fish. After taking a moment to catch his breath, the buck up and raced over to his crewmates, who had gathered around a now returned Silas.<p>

The petrel was paler than normal, and he looked as though he'd seen a ghost. "What did you find?" Raz asked as Squint reached them. Silas gave a quick shiver.

"There are two creatures, as you said," he replied. "One I was too far away to make out, it was very small. The other..." He gulped. "The other I knew all too well,"

"What was it?" Gupta asked.

"Not _what_..._who_," Silas corrected.

"Well then who _was_ it?" Raz demanded. Squint leaned forward anticipatedly, eager to hear his brother's reply.

"It was...Gutt."

* * *

><p>The next time her captor came to her, she didn't have any energy to so much as whimper. She simply lay on her side, curled up, chest heaving in painful gasps. Again he appeared as nothing more than a shadow, voice deep as it spoke to her. The same hand lay itself on her head, a finger sliding to her neck, checking her pulse. "Weak..." he mused to himself. "Very weak..."<p>

She opened her mouth, her breathing dry and raspy. She forced her eyes open with willpower alone. Her golden eyes were heavy with exhaustion and she knew she couldn't hold them open for long. She gazed at whoever-it-was desperately, thinking, "_Please help me..._" She grew chilly with fearful realization. "_I'll... I'll die if you don't,_"

* * *

><p><strong>And here I am with chapter 4! Yeah, I've been real busy recently; overload of homework, end of the quarter stress, I haven't even gotten my quota of screen time for the past two days. But At least I'm off school Friday. XD Thank you to:<strong>

**Bombina**

**for reviewing the previous chapter, and to all who read it! Please review and let me know what you thought of this one!**

**In Christ Alone,**

**KaylaDestroyer (Gal. 2:20)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Mysty Waters**

**Book 1: Eyes Opened**

**Chapter 5**

"_What_?" Raz demanded incredulously. "How could _Gutt_ be alive? He was eaten by _sirens_!"

"Well _somehow_ he survived, and he's on that berg," Silas confirmed.

"But _how_?" Gupta repeated, spreading his paws. "How could he have escaped?"

"Wait a minute, where's Squint?" Raz interrupted. The crew all took a moment to look around, not finding the rabbit in question.

"Look! He's paddling out in his little coconut bed!" Flynn exclaimed suddenly, pointing one flipper. The crew gathered at the edge, watching incredulously for a moment as Squint, kneeling in the large half coconut that served as his bed, paddled himself vigorously towards the other vessel.

"He won't _actually_ make it, will he?" Gupta inquired, unable to envision his younger brother succeeding in hand-paddling himself that far in half a coconut. A grim, enraged frown overcame Raz's face.

"You evah' considered how fast his arms are, not just his legs?" she muttered. In all truth, the rabbit was already halfway to the other ship. Glare deepening, she proceeded to scream, "_JACKRABBIT_!"

* * *

><p>Squint paddled himself furiously across the water. He didn't think about forming any special plan, even going up against his former captain that had somehow escaped a pack of sirens. All that mattered was saving this mysterious girl who reached him through his dreams. He didn't know her very well, or where she came from, or why she'd contacted <em>him<em>, but he felt it was his duty to rescue her, help her. Raz's shriek hardly pierced his ears; he was already too far. He didn't worry about it; his family would follow soon after him. He very quickly reached the other vessel, leaping up onto the hull and abandoning his bed.

Using his claws for anchorage, the buck began determinedly climbing up the berg. He soon reached the edge, carefully peeking up over to check for any other occupants. Not finding any, he heaved himself over and landed in a crouch, one paw on the ground and the other holding his knife. He took stock of the deck, noting a downwards leading passage to his right. Nose twitching, he up and sprinted down the passage, allowing instinct to guide him to the violet and cobalt doe. He finally came to an open door, which emanated tired pants and pained moaning. He carefully stepped in front of it, seeing a large, primate looking creature standing before a small cage dangling from the ceiling.

Eyes blazing angrily, he charged with no second thought, screaming bloody murder and shouting completely unnecessary threats at Gutt. The primate fell to the floor in shock, trying to take hold of the rabbit zipping over his body, inflicting wound after wound. Finally, the buck stopped and harshly rammed the hilt of his knife into Gutt's temple, knocking him out effectively. As his former captain toppled over, he leapt from Gutt's head into the cage, clinging to the bars as it swung back and forth for a moment, before chucking himself inside. He found the mysterious doe in the same position from his dream, panting for water and murmuring fearfully to herself. Bending down he gently tilted her chin to his, gazing into her golden orbs for a moment, wrapping his other arm around her shoulders and lifting her upper half into the air. She stared back at him through half open eyes, before they slipped closed and she went limp, letting her head fall back.

Horrified, he held two fingers to her neck, checking for a pulse. Thankfully he found one, but it was terrifyingly weak. He needed to get her to the ship, where she could get proper nourishment.

* * *

><p>Mystique wasn't sure if it was delusions or reality, but in a moment her strange captor suddenly vanished from her view, and she could hear something, <em>someone<em>, fighting angrily. After a few moments, someone appeared before her. Her vision was dancing and dizzy, spinning with her head, but she was sure it was him. The thought gave her just a tiny trickle of hope; he'd come to save her! An arm gently guided itself around her shoulder and helped her sit up, two fingers relatively her own size feeling for a pulse.

She welcomed the feeling of someone carefully picking her up and carrying her away from there. She tucked herself up as tiny as she could, knees curled tightly to her chest, arms under them.

She smiled sleepily and allowed herself to drift back into unconsciousness. She was going to get out of here. Her Fearless One had come. She was safe.

* * *

><p>One of the good things about being a rabbit was their small size. It made sneaking around quite easy. He'd carefully managed to get her through the bars, her grimacing face never changing. She was barely consciences, and in fact seemed to be drifting in and out; definitely in no state to transport herself. So he resorted to gathering her as comfortably as he could in his arms and hurrying away. He left the room slowly, knife in his teeth, listening for any sign of other life. There were others aboard, according to Silas, and he couldn't risk getting caught.<p>

He proceeded away and towards the top deck with caution, ready to bolt at any given moment. He was going to get her away from here.

* * *

><p>Raz fumed as she guided her ship closer to that of the apparently alive Gutt. She was brash, quick to retort, and very protective of what belonged to her. But it still bugged her when one of her brothers acted as such, and right now Squint had seared all but one of her nerves in half. "When we get there," she began in an agitated tone. "You boys go find Squint. <em>I'll<em> handle any opposition," The crew obediently agreed; they knew not to test her when she was in such a mood.

They soon pulled up beside Gutt's new berg, waiting a moment out of caution before jumping or flapping across. The remaining boys quickly noticed a passage that led down into the ship's bowels, and wasted no time in taking it. Raz followed close behind, entering the inner halls with them but lagging behind as they searched for Squint. They soon came across an open doorway, and nearly bumped into their absent brother. He was carrying the most oddly colored rabbit doe they'd ever laid eyes on in his arms. Her size was also a bit striking; Squint had always been the smallest member of their family. This doe had to be about a head shorter than him, and in her current state, she was about three times thinner.

"Dude, that's not a _girl_; that's skin and bone glued together," Gupta noted. The rabbit buck glared heatedly at him.

"You just wait until she's _better_," he sneered defensively. The badger took a step back, paws up for peace. Squint normally only acted in such a manner when he was calming down from the adrenaline rush of a battle, in which case the chances of him taking up another match were extremely high. "She's _cool_, you'll see," he insisted, jutting his tiny chin out with as much dignity as he could muster while cradling his tiny, weak, female counterpart. The rest of the crew eyed with emancipated girl worriedly; she clearly needed sustenance, and probably a good drink too.

* * *

><p>"You are <em>so<em> in troub'l when we get home!" Raz hissed venomously at Squint. "I don' even _know_ what yer' gonna get when we get home- but it'll 'ave year knuckles bloody and the resta' ya sore for weeks!" Squint winced, wishing to explain to his sister, but he knew, really, it'd be best if he kept his mouth shut. This was the angriest he'd seen her in a long time; a frown etched deep on her face, teeth ground together and nails digging into her palms and provoking blood. She didn't notice. And really, he couldn't truly explain his actions. _Something_ had made him go to her, not just instinct or curiosity either.

Something about her drew him in. She was special, not just in her color or abilities either. She was special. They were almost out and home free, when a silky voice behind them said, "And just _where_ do you think you're going?"

Pulling out two swords, his only sister growled, "I'm gonna _kill_ you when we get home..." Squint gently set the currently unnamed doe on the ground, whipping around so that he stood with one foot on either side of her, holding his knife out defensively. His face deadpanned upon seeing it was Gutt who stood behind them, a menacing grin adorning his face as he eyed them.

"Well well well; if it isn't my old crew," he greeted with a sneer.

"How about former _slaves_?" Gupta spat, holding out the tooth knife he'd used to battle a young molehog called Louis. Or Wiener, depending on who addressed him.

"I see you've only gotten _worse_," Raz added, nodding slightly to the doe beneath Squint. "Honestly Gutt; don't ya' at least know to take care of your prisoners? They're like pets; they can't get their own food and watah', ya' have to get it _for_ them," At such an analogy her brothers gave a round of chuckles. Gutt merely growled, dropping his smile.

"And I see you all have only become more disobedient than before," he snapped back.

"Dude, the only _disobedient_ one was _Shira_," Squint shot back. "And you're _not_ taking this girl back!" he insisted.

* * *

><p>Mystique woke again to the sounds of battle. Swords clashing, animals yelling, insults being thrown. She opened her eyes again to see <em>him<em>, along with five other animals she didn't recognize. Quite a strange bunch too; she had no idea what half of them were. There was a badger and some kind of bird, but the rest were a mystery to her. They were battling against someone vaguely humanoid in shape, though much larger and covered in black fur. She recognized him as the one responsible for holding her here, and whimpered fearfully.

He'd throw her back in that cage again, she knew it! She'd gained her freedom only to lose it, and had been _so_ close to rescue; now she was going to lose it again! The thought made her sob. "_I have to get out here..._" she begged through silent tears. "_I just_ have_ to!_ _Please!_" Mystique's will strengthened her slightly.

She focused on the weapon the humanoid creature wielded; his claws. Straining as hard as she could, she lifted his hands into the air, which in turn raised the rest of his body, so that his claws stuck into the ice ceiling. She gazed up at her handiwork appreciatively for a moment, before her Fearless One raced over and scooped her up once more. She allowed herself to be cradled securely once again, snuggling into her hero's chest and letting her eyes close. There was a flurry of confused conversation surrounding her, but none of the creatures seemed intent on hanging around as their adversary attempted to free himself. Her Fearless One ran quickly, even with her baggage, moving ahead of his comrades.

In the next instant, a sweet sensation hit Mystique that she had waited so long for; the sun burst into existence again, stinging her retinas and filling her heart with joy. "_The sun,_" she thought. "_Oh how I've missed you!_" Light and warmth washed over her pale form, eliciting a soft smile from her. Her rescuers boarded yet another ice vessel, before hurriedly sailing off as fast as they could. Mystique's battle to stay conscious was taking a toll on her, but thankfully her Fearless One seemed to know just what she needed. After commanding the badger to find him some water, he knelt down by an enormous pile of fruit and laid her on the cold, icy deck, using himself as support so she could sit up properly.

Her back was too him, so she still didn't have a chance to study his face in great detail, but at the moment she didn't mind. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a grey paw pluck an apple out of the fruit mountain, before tenderly holding it near her mouth. "Here you go; this look tasty?" he asked gently.

* * *

><p><strong>And there's chapter 5! Mystique has finally been rescued! But things will only get more interesting from here on out! Thank you to:<strong>

**Bombina**

**for reviewing the previous chapter! Plz review and tell me what you all though of this one!**

**In Christ Alone,**

**KaylaDestroyer (Gal. 2:20)**


	6. Chapter 6

Mysty Waters

Book 1: Eyes Opened

Chapter 6

The juicy fruit was heaven on her tongue. She chewed it slowly, relishing the fresh, cool, sweet taste. "Mm..." With a sudden burst of happy energy, her arms lunged for the apple and happily began devouring it. "Oh... so good..." she murmured between mouthfuls. When half of it was gone, she took a breather as the badger from before showed up wit half a coconut filled with water, and a reed straw, just in case. Forgetting her food, she gladly reached for the wonderful clear liquid and brought the bowl to her lips, gladly gulping it down.

She knew she was probably appearing rude and ill-mannered, but at the moment she didn't exactly care. It felt like _so long_ since something cool and refreshing had touched her tongue. When the water was gone, she shoved the bowl back at him and wiped her mouth, panting. "More... I- I need more! I'm still thirsty!"

"Sheesh, you two have the same appetite..." he muttered, before obliging her wishes and going to retrieve more. After that, she slowly tried to calm herself and relocated her juicy little apple and godly continued gnawing it, now taking time to breathe between bites.

"Th-thank you," she said shakily, turning to look at her Fearless One. "Thank you _so_ much," The rabbit buck was smirking at her, humored and delighted by her eagerness. "No problem," he replied. "I don't judge starving prisoners," Mystique blushed slightly, taking a chance to observe him. His fur was extremely puffy and dirty, like some wild, ragamuffin ruffian, and his features in general looked a bit nasty.

In general none of his companions looked like particularly savory people. But if you looked past all that, you could see the cuteness in him that all rabbits possessed, and Mystique was sure there was just a glint of kindness in his expression. Perhaps it was his tough, nastiness that enabled him to feel no fear of her. "You like peaches?" he asked, holding one out in offering. Grin wide, Mystique dropped her apple core and eagerly snatched the fruit, instantly taking off a bite that was far too big. But size didn't matter to her at this moment; any amount of food and drink was welcome. Her Fearless One merely chuckled at her, apparently pleased.

The badger returned shortly after, handing her the coconut shell once more. Mystique eagerly chugged the liquid down, although in a bit more mannerly fashion this time. When she was feeling full and had some of her energy replenished, she finally set down her food and turned to look at the rest of the group. They were observing from afar, from what she could tell four males and one female. The boys were watching her curiously, slightly amused by their comrades' attentiveness toward her. She couldn't help blushing slightly and shying away from their stares; after all, she'd lived in solitude all her life. She very rarely has the attention of _anyone_, let alone a group of five.

Make that six, counting her Fearless One, but he didn't make her as uncomfortable. She waved over shyly, unsure how to greet them. "Um... th- thank you... for, um, you know, saving me,"

"Mm..." The tallest of the bunch, the only other female here, nodded at her shortly, clearly on her guard. She was a violet color, much lighter than her own, with eyes the exact same shade of gold. They were watching her intently, her gaze loose and calculating. She stood tall on her two back feet, chillingly human-like arms crossed and expression vacant. Mystique couldn't help feeling flawed under her hard stare.

"Aw, c'mon Razzie, quit it," the buck spoke from beside her. "Yer scarin 'er,"

"She's pretty scary _herself_, what with her ability to make you do _anythin'_ for her with liftin' a _fingah'_," the violet creature replied, face deepening into a glare. Mystique lowered her head shamefully, guilty she had somehow charmed her Fearless One into acting out of character.

"Oh please, if some hot _jack_ with actual weapons experience like _you_ came around, you'd leave us all in a heartbeat," the Fearless One replied, rolling his eyes.

"What are you insinuatin'?" 'Raz', inquired.

"That you'd need a roo just like you to ever have any sort of romantic relationship," the buck replied readily. Mystique giggled. Then instantly she slapped her hands over her mouth as the violet one whipped her head over to glare at her.

"Sorry..." she muttered morosely. Her Fearless One chuckled.

"Chill, you laughed. No big deal," he assured nonchalantly.

"But, I..." She stopped. What was she to say, really? She could tell the tall purple one didn't like her, and was rather suspicious of her and her abilities. The thought made Mystique sad; even though she'd found her Fearless One, there was still someone around to fear her. "I'm sorry... I'm causing trouble, aren't I?"

"What? Nah', Razzie's just bein protective," The purple one, 'Raz', scoffed and rolled her eyes at his reply. "Its kinda' her thing,"

"Oh... ok," Mystique was quiet a moment, unsure what to say next. She was glad to have found her Fearless One, but... what to do now? "Um... if I may... what's your name, Fearless One?" she inquired. That seemed as good a place as any. The buck raised an eyebrow, a smirk breaking out in his face. The other four makes let out peals of laughter.

"_Fearless One_?" the badger teased. "You make him sound like some sort of great _hero_!"

"_Oui oui_!" the bird laughed in agreement. Mystique lowered her head once more, feeling ashamed and ridiculed. The buck _was_ a hero in her eyes; the only one unafraid of her, the one who had come to rescue her from imprisonment. Suddenly a growl came from her left, and her golden eyes slid over to her Fearless One. His teeth were bared in an angry sneer, throat reverberating with an intimidating growl. Suddenly he leapt to his feet and sprinted over to the badger with speed she herself could never have. He slammed into the badger with surprising force, knocking him onto his back and wrapping his paws around the other creature's throat.

"YOU SHUT UP!" he shouted. "She hasn't done a _single_ wrong thing since she got here! In fact I doubt she's ever done _anything_!" With that the two were launched into a brawl unlike anything Mystique had ever seen. She gasped and shot to her feet.

"Stop!" she cried. "Please stop it! Don't hurt him! Please don't hurt my Fearless One!"

"Oh r'_lax_." Raz said, rolling her eyes. "These two fight like this _all_ the time,"

"R-Really?" the doe stuttered nervously. Raz nodded, and Mystique winced. "Sh-shouldn't someone _do_ something?"

"Give it time, _mademoiselle_," spoke the bird in an odd accent she'd never heard. "_Capitaine_ will stop them when she decides appropriate,"

"Um... o-ok..." She felt it wasn't her place to intervene. But still... she didn't want him to be hurt. Making a split second decision, she yelled, "_STOP IIIIIIIT_!" and forced them apart. The buck and badger let out cries of surprise as Mystique telekinetically lifted them into the air, then threw them in opposite directions. The doe stood panting, fearful she may have only caused more trouble. Her Fearless One had landed before her feet, skidding to a stop on his side, before blinking uncomprehendingly up at him for a moment.

"A-are you alright?" she stuttered. The buck's lip was busted, his mouth dripping with blood and his body covered with bruises. Yet he smiled, giving her a maniacal grin that intrigued the doe. He took one of her paws in his, shaking it firmly as he supported himself with one arm.

"Squint," he replied shortly. She hesitantly smiled back, relieved he seemed to be fine.

"Oh. My name's Mystique," she replied, letting go of his paw.

"Mystique huh?" he said, pulled himself to his feet. "That's different," She giggled at his opinion, smiling shyly.

"Yeah... dunno what possessed my parents to name me that,"

"Yeah... s'pose I could ask the same question," Squint agreed. Mystique laughed again, gradually warming up to the situation.

"I think your name's a good one," she declared. Squint grinned crookedly at her, quirking a brow.

"Oh is that so?" he inquired. Mystique smirked back.

"_Yes_, that's so," she replied. "Anyone looking at you would agree," she added. Squint laughed.

"Yeah, can't go wrong there." he consented.

"Ya' alright, jackrabbit?" Raz inquired, hopping over and bending down to inspect him. Mystique took a cautious step back as she approached, suddenly realizing just how _huge_ she was. Squint rolled his eyes and gently pushed the violet creature's short muzzle away.

"Razzie, I'm _fine_," he insisted, before turning back to Mystique. "So, how did you end up on a ship with _Gutt_ anyway? Where are you from?" he inquired.

"Well..." She turned her gaze to the ocean, turning in full circle. Every direction looked the same. "I... I don't really know where I'm from, " she replied helplessly.

"Uh... what?" Squint asked, blinking.

"I know it probably sounds weird, but see... well, before I ran away to go explore, I hadn't left our warren since I was three years old," Mystique explained with a shrug. He looked extremely surprised.

"_What_?!" he demanded incredulously.

"Well... my parents, they-they thought my powers were dangerous," Mystique replied. "They always said I'd hurt someone, that I'd get someone killed. So...they locked me away. They kept me down in my room and away from the family; I never saw my siblings and rarely saw my parents save for when they brought me food once a day. I haven't been outside in so long... I suppose I've forgotten where exactly I come from..." The group blinked at her in shock, Squint seeming the most surprised.

"So..._instead_ of helping you figure out how to control said powers, they gave you a lifelong _timeout_ for no solid reason and kept you underground since you were three up until now?" he recapped. Mystique gave a sad nod.

"Pretty much," she replied. "I always wondered..._why_. _Why_ did they leave me alone? Why did they forget me?" she babbled, turning away and enclosing herself into her own thoughts. "I thought...I thought they _cared_ about me. I thought my siblings would be fascinated, I thought my parents would be interested in watching me develop my abilities. And then..."

"And then they treated you like a monster," Squint whispered. Mystique turned sharply to face him, eyes wide. His expression was suddenly drastically different; his aura of energy and pride had vanished, lips drawn into a small frown, eyes filled with anguish. It was as though Mystique were looking in a mirror, seeing that girl she'd been, growing up in solitary confinement. She took a step closer, and Squint's shoulders, which she suddenly realized her tense, relaxed.

"_You understand,_" she thought, unsure if it was appropriate to verbalize such a thing in front of his comrades. The buck blinked in surprise, before his voice suddenly invaded Mystique's mind.

"_I...I do,_" he replied mentally.

"_But... but how?_" she marveled silently, looking deep into his eyes. For several moments their gazes remained locked. "_What..._" Tears began to sparkle in her eyes at the thought. "_What have you suffered? Something makes you understand me,_" A single tear slid down her cheek at the thought of him suffering such treatment as well.

"_But what is it?_"

"_I... I... don't know,_" he replied, looking confused at his words, as if he _weren't_ the one speaking them. His expression was as pained as her own. "_I don't know,_" Mystique blinked in disbelief.

"_But... it doesn't make sense. I have to know! Tell me! Someone tell me!_" The next demand came out desperate, and directed to no one in particular. "Someone _tell_ me!"

* * *

><p><strong>Hey hey hey, next chappie's here! XD Yeah well, I only have one other chapter prepared to be posted. So now I have to get seven more chapters ready.<strong>

**Yeah, we've written that much. This has been going on since summer, mind you. We've seriously got about two to three books total, depending on how I break it up...Anyways! thank you to: **

**Bombina**

**for reviewing the previous chapter! Plz review and tell me what you guys all thought! (Please remember this was a duo effort; I'm sure MBSAVfan1 would like to know you guys like the story, hopefully as much as she and I do.)**

**In Christ Alone,**

**KaylaDestroyer (Gal. 2:20)**


	7. Chapter 7

Mysty Waters

Book 1: Eyes Opened

Chapter 7

Squint's friends all jumped at her outburst, glancing at each other nervously. "What are ya' talkin' about?" Raz demanded suspiciously. "Tell you what?" Mystique and Squint blinked, unlocking themselves from their mentally bonded stupor. The buck shook his head slightly, staring away thoughtfully. Mystique panted softly, frightened gaze flicking between her Fearless One and the massive creature towering protectively over him.

"I...I'm not sure," she muttered, eyeing her counterpart's face. His eyes were glazed and his expression far off, as though reflecting on something from long ago.

"Squint?" Raz asked next, tone edged with worry. The buck didn't reply right away, which clearly disturbed her. She nudged him roughly with her foot, demanding, "_JACKRABBIT_!" tersely. The buck snapped to attention, eyes returning to focus. They snapped back to normal and he took a couple unsteady steps backwards, one hand going up to his temple area, looking slightly dizzied.

"What...?" he muttered. Before Raz could ask, however, Mystique shot forward.

"I'm sorry!" she stammered apologetically. "I- I really am sorry! I- I didn't mean to... I..."

"That was... weird," he spoke slowly, as if regaining his bearings from a confusing, mind-boggling situation. "I... I... it was like I couldn't move," Mystique tilted her head at his response.

"Huh?" she asked.

"I... I could _hear_ you guys, I could hear you asking, but... I couldn't answer. I dunno why, but I couldn't move. I- I couldn't do _anything_," Squint replied with a shrug. Mystique began to worry even further; she'd felt something click into place when his voice spoke in her mind, but then she'd overpowered it. And the other end seemed to stop short. Had she hurt him? Had she kept him locked in that odd state even after her mind disconnected from his?

She glanced up shyly to see Raz glaring at her deeply. The gargantuan, two-legged creature bent down and scooped Squint into her paws, cradling him against her white chest. There was an unmistakable gleam on affection in her golden eyes, and it made Mystique pine for Melanie. Although younger than her, Melanie had always owned a knack for comforting Mystique. And now the older doe appeared to have committed the one thing her parents always feared. She took a step back, looking away shamefully. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

"You _bettah'_ be," she hissed at her. "If _one_ hair's outta place on my brother, yer' _dead meat_! Undah'stand?"

Mystique whimpered and managed to squeak out, "Y-Yes ma'am!" With a displeased nod, Raz proceeded to carry Squint out of sight and towards and odd tunnel her on the opposite end of the ship, ordering over her shoulder "Gupta, watch our lil' troub'lmakah'. I'mmuna go look Squint ovah', make sure nothin's wrong with 'im," Mystique watched them go sadly as the badger before approached, standing beside her with his arms folded.

"Don't mind her," he whispered lowly. "She's always been protective over him like this." Mystique nodded numbly, swallowing guiltily.

"I... I really _am_ sorry..." she murmured. "I didn't mean to... really I didn't!"

"I can see that," he replied bluntly. "But don't let Raz get to you; she's more impressed by someone who stands up for them self than a wimp who lets anyone push them around," Mystique's ears lowered, and she looked down at her paws, thinking. "Then I'm probably making the worlds worst first impression ever..." she sighed sadly. Clearly she cared deeply for her Fearless One, very concerned for his health and well-being. And now... not only was she probably coming off as weak and helpless, she'd possibly hurt him, without meaning to. She signed again, tilting her head to look up at the sky.

"Eh... don't sweat it. You were just almost starved to death, and she barely knows you. I doubt she expect much of you quite yet," Gupta consoled.

"But..." She bit her lip. That other woman was in charge here; she was the leader. She made the rules and decisions. What if one of her decisions was to dispose of Mystique? Clearly she didn't want her around Squint. "But... what if she does? I don't want to disappoint..." "_Or die,"_ she added mentally. She'd had close enough contact with death; she really didn't want to experience it a second time. "And what will she do to me if I _do_ disappoint?" The badger shrugged.

"The only way to disappoint _her_ would be to hurt Squint on _purpose_," he replied. "She may seem suspicious right now, but it's only because she cares about him," Mystique hummed on reply, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Maybe I should make it up to her..." she murmured thoughtfully.

"How? You haven't even done anything except accidentally give Squint a bad case of daydreaming," the badger reasoned.

"But...it looked like something was wrong when he woke up..." Mystique replied, mulling over the event.

* * *

><p>Raz hopped below deck to her bedroom, setting Squint gently on the leaf mattress, laying him out on his back. "How ya' feeling', jackrabbit?" she inquired, peering at him calculatingly. The buck sighed.<p>

"Razzie, I'm _fine_," he droned, body limp without a care.

"Squint this is serious; did she hurt you? What did she do?" Raz insisted.

* * *

><p>Eventually Mystique resorted to pacing, back and forth and back and forth. About fifteen minutes passed, but Squint and Raz had yet to return. It made her worry; perhaps she really <em>had<em> hurt him. According to Gupta, she wouldn't be 'disappointed' unless she hurt Squint on purpose. And of course she hadn't! But still... what about angry?

Vengeful? Upset?

"I'll find a way to make her like me..." she murmured. "I have to!" She was close to her Fearless One; logically, they could never really be friends or even remote acquaintances unless she found a way to get on Raz's good side. She routed her Fearless One would really want to be around someone his leader didn't liked. But how should she do it? "Maybe I can figure out how to fix whatever I did wrong..." she muttered, expression lightening.

* * *

><p>"So she didn't hurt ya' at <em>all<em>?" Raz inquired one last time. Squint rolled his eyes and sat up.

"_No_," he drawled irritatedly. "She just made my mind feel a little funny," Raz arched an eyebrow.

"Funny how?" she asked suspiciously. The buck shrugged.

"After I woke up...I...I saw these faces. Other rabbit faces," he replied. Raz's eyes widened.

"Faces you'd seen _before_?"

"I think so...and they looked..._mad_,"

* * *

><p>Mystique finally found just a tiny scrap of courage. Taking in a deep breath, she altered her course for the tunnel. Gupta wasn't really watching her; he knew she was relatively harmless. She knew she really shouldn't snooper trespass, but she figured the best way to start making friends with her was to apologize. She found the two in a private little room, Squint perched in her hands as they conversed in hushed voices. Instantly, she tuned them out. Eavesdropping was wrong.<p>

But she wasn't about to chicken out either. She knocked on the door. "Um... excuse me?" Raz stood tall, whipping around to face her. Squint peeked past her shoulder, eyes inquisitive.

"How long have _you_ been there?" he asked confusedly, nose scrunching. Mystique gulped, Raz's eyes burning holes into her.

"J-just now," she replied. "I wanted to say I'm sorry, for all the trouble I caused," Raz deepened her glare. She had a bad feeling about this girl; but if it was a general sense of danger or just older-sister protectiveness, she wasn't entirely sure. "L-Look," Mystique tried not to stutter. "I'm sorry for making you worry. A-and Squint...if I hurt you I'm sorry, I- I don't even know what I did really..."

"I'm confused too," she admitted.

"Hold up, " Raz held up one finger. "Yer' tellin me ya' didn't _know_ you could do that?" Mystique shook her head.

"See, that's just the thing. I... I'm not even sure _what_ I did, let alone how to use it or control it!" She lowered her head and wrung her paws. "And... I'm sorry. But... I _would_ like to find out more about it, if you'll let me." Raz quirked an eyebrow.

"If _I'll_ let you, eh? Suddenly I'm yer boss then?" she inquired doubtfully. Mystique swallowed, twiddling her fingers.

"Well... its just that, you're in charge here. And you saved me, and I'm _hoping_ you'll let me stay here and, you know, _not_ kill me. So I figure it nay sounds fair you hold _some_ measure of authority over me," she replied with a nervous shrug. Raz eyed her for a moment, still unsure whether or not to trust her.

"Come on Razzie, lay off," Squint encouraged. "She hasn't _purposely_ done anything wrong since she got here; she's just lost and lonely. Besides...maybe she could help me,"

"She doesn't _need_ to help you; your business is not hers," Raz replied, looking down at him. Squint pouted and crossed his arms, glaring up at her.

"Dude, she's the one who _started_ it," he reasoned. "Even if she doesn't know how. Maybe she can figure out what happened, and why I'm seeing all that stuff,"

"Seeing what stuff?" Mystique asked reproachfully. Had she given him hallucinations? Had she damaged him more than she'd originally thought? Squint blinked at the question.

"Well... kinda' hard to say," he replied. "While we were starin at each other, I started seein faces. I dunno who they were... but they looked pretty mad about _something_,"

"That's strange..." Mystique mused. "I've never given anyone mental images before...Did you know them?" Squint jumped down from Raz's grasp so they were eye level again.

"Um... I don't think so. Maybe," he replied with a shrug.

"That's odd; not a clue who they are?" she tried again. He shook his head. "Well... so you remember how _many_ there were?" He frowned, pondering it.

"Maybe... eight or nine, I guess," he replied.

"Ok..." Well that was useful, she supposed. It was better than absolutely zero information. She glanced back up at Raz. "Could we, um... try that again? See if we can figure anything out?"

"Absolutely n-!"

"Yes," Squint cut in firmly. Raz blinked at him in shock.

"Squint!" she hissed. The buck turned and held his paws up in a pacifying manner.

"Raz, I'll be fine. I just wanna' know. She won't hurt me," he assured. She stared intently at the pair for a moment, before sighing and folding her arms.

"Fine; but I'm stayin' right here ta' watch," she declared. Mystique gave a respectful nod. She had the right to preside over their experiment.

"Thank you, miss," she acknowledged.

"Raz," she corrected, visibly irritated. "_Just_ Raz,"

"O- Ok. Well, with any name, thank you," Mystique fumbled. "Now... how should we start?" Squint shrugged.

"Start with the starin' contest again, I guess," he replied.

"Ok," It was good as any place start. They proceeded to lock their gazes, focusing on one another and nothing else. They remained like that for several moments, Mystique concentrating hard, determined to feel that odd sensation again. Sure enough, within a few moments, she felt the tiny, almost undetectable 'click', and the next time her partner blinked, his eyes were just a tad sleepier. "Squint?" Her voice was quiet, and she dared not take her eyes away from his.

"Squint... can you hear me?" she asked softly.

"What?" the buck asked, blinking.

"Can you hear me? It's Mystique," the doe tried again.

"Huh?" Squint asked, sleepy face scrunching. Mystique sighed softly, before switching tactics.

"_Can you hear me now?_" she thought.

"_Yeah,_" Squint's voice replied in her head.

"_What do you see?_" she asked mentally. The buck tilted his head, as if focusing.

"_Faces,_" he thought back. "_Rabbit faces; one grey, a few black, a couple white, one peachy pink, and a the rest are kinda' fuzzy..._" His eyes narrowed, concentrating harder. "_They look really mad...at_ me_,_"

"_Why would they be mad at you?_" Mystique inquired mentally. Squint's expression drooped.

"_I don't know,_" he replied helplessly in her mind. "_I...I did something they don't like, I think...Wait!_" His eyes widened slightly.

"_What is it?_" Mystique inquired excitedly.

"_I hear voices,_" Squint thought-spoke.

"_Voices?_" Mystique repeated hopefully.

"_Yeah..._angry_ voices; sneering and cursing and shouting and, and..._" Suddenly Squint's mind unhooked from Mystique's, his eyes widening and losing their slightly sleepy look. However it was only to be replaced by a far off glaze, as though he were remembering something. "Squint?" Mystique inquired a loud. The buck stood frozen, too absorbed in the things running through his mind to reply. He leaned forward a moment, then back, then tottered left and right, before falling to the floor with a 'thunk'. Golden eyes wide with terror, Mystique let out a small shriek and pounced to his side, crouching down and lifting his shoulders up.

"Squint?" she asked worriedly. "Squint, _please_ be alright!" she begged, trying to shake him awake. "Please, my Fearless One!" she whimpered.

"What'd you _do_, you rotten little-!" Shoving poor Mystique away, Raz picked up her brother with worry gleaming in her her eyes. She checked for a pulse; slightly quick but relatively normal. His breathing was fine... physically, he wasn't even asleep! But... "_What_ did you do?!" she demanded, glaring ferociously at Mystique. Feeling tinier than ever, Mystique pressed herself against the wall, shivering in fear.

She hadn't meant to hurt him! As far as she could tell, he hadn't been under any stress or pain! What had caused him to suddenly faint like that? "I- I'm sorry!" she sobbed, guilt welling inside of her. Shoulders shaking, she buried her face in her paws, desperately apologizing over and over, painfully aware of the furious glare trained directly on her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Raz eyed the sobbing doe for a moment, unsure whether or not to continue hating her or allow her pity.

Squint suddenly gave a moan, rolling over slightly in her arms. Both females' attention was instantly drawn to him, Raz holding his chin with attentive eyes. Mystique watched them from across the room, eyes hopeful. "Squint?" she asked softly. The buck grumbled, irritatedly, before blinking his eyes open. He gazed at Raz for a moment, before sitting himself up and turning to Mystique. Both watched him tentatively, hoping for the best.

"What happened?" the doe inquired softly. Squint's gaze turned to the ground, face slack with shock that slowly morphed into melancholy.

"They hated me..." he breathed.

"What?" Raz asked.

"My family...my brothers, my sisters, my...mom, my dad...they all..._hated_ me,"

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it! Chapter 7 at last! I've been working on this one for the past couple days, trying to get it into the doc properly and everything. But it's here at last, and I hope you all have enjoyed it! Thank you to:<strong>

**Bombina**

**for reviewing the previous chapter! Plz review and tell me what you all thought of this chapter!**

**In Christ Alone,**

**KaylaDestroyer (Gal. 2:20)**


	8. Chapter 8

Mysty Waters

Book 1: Eyes Opened

Chapter 8

Mystique grasped. "So- so _that's_ how you understand me... you were cut off from your family too!" she exclaimed epiphanically.

"But..." Squint looked puzzled. "I... I never, remembered them before now. How... I don't..."

"Doesn't mattah' right now." Raz dismissed. "We c'n worry 'bout that later. Are ya alrigh? Anything hurt?" she asked Squint.

"Um..." He still seemed confused, glancing down at himself. "I... don't think so..."

"Are you sure?" Mystique fretted. "I'm sorry if I..."

"Don't sweat it girly," he dismissed, waving a paw. "I'm fine. Just... confused. And kinda curious. I've never even been able to remember anything before joining Gutt's crew," he added. "But...it's never bothered me before..."

"But why would your family hate you? What could you have done to upset them?" Mystique inquired.

"I'm not sure," Squint replied, at a loss. "But I'm pretty sure I did _something_,"

"Let's not focus on it, for a while," Raz suggested, setting her brother beside Mystique. "For now we should go let everyone know that Squint's alright, and figure out why _Gutt_ is still alive," Mystique gladly followed them up to the top again. She shivered in delight and rubbed her arms at being back in the warm sun, having just noticed how chilly it was without its warm light. For the first time, Mystique took a moment to observe her surroundings. This place, now that she was looking in detail, actually appeared quite scary. There were collections upon collections of weapons placed here and there, all looking deadly sharp.

Most seemed rather gruesome; bones of some unfortunate creatures. She gulped and wrung her hands nervously, before sprinting to catch up with her Fearless One and his overprotective sister. They were gathered with the rest of the group, talking. "-decide wot to do with pipsqueak 'ere," Raz was saying.

"I think we should keep her!" piped up something that looked a bit like jelly and spoke with an accent. "She's all cute and fluffy lookin!" Raz scoffed and rolled her eyes. "'Cute' er not-"

"She's stayin'," Squint insisted from Raz's shoulder.

"Squint-"

"No! She's stayin! I _mean_ it!" the grey buck insisted

"Squint, you _know_ she sets me off!" Raz reminded. "And on top of that she's been givin' ya' weird pictures in yer' brain,"

"They're not just _pictures_, Raz!" Squint insisted. "They're _memories_; _real_ things that happened!"

"And how do you know that?" Raz demanded. "It's apparent she can control your mind; what if _she_ implanted those things?" Squint's face clouded with fury.

"She _didn't_!" he insisted back. "I know the evil glint a villain's eyes has; I'm a _pirate_! She wouldn't give me weird memories of my family hating me!" Mystique tilted her head in confusion.

"Um, excuse me?" she spoke up, raising her paw. "What's a...pirate?" They all stared at her for a moment, two moments... before promptly breaking out in laughter. Mystique shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to react to... well, _their_ reactions.

"Oi, Sheila, maybe ya' _are_ good fer somethin'!" Raz chuckled, clearly amused to the highest degree. Squint was struggling to stand on her shoulder, bent over laughing.

"Yeah! Yer' powerful _and_ funny! I like it!"

"But... I wasn't kidding..." Mystique murmured uncertainly. Everyone instantly hushed, blinking at her in shock.

"You weren't?" Squint asked. Mystique nodded.

"I've been locked up for twenty years, remember?" she reminded.

"Oh right," Squint replied, before jumping down and strutting over to her. "Before I explain; do you think you can handle it?" Mystique blinked, tilting her head a fraction of a degree.

"Uh... I suppose so. Unless your grand finale explanation turns out to be my murder or put in another cage... I think I'm good," she replied with a shrug. He grinned, looking more than a little maniacal.

"Whatever you say."

"So tell me; what is a pirate?"

"A pirate, my dear friend, is someone who sails the seas in search of adventure; we pillage and plunder to our hearts' content, taking whatever we want from whoever we please wherever we go. We get to fight like maniacs and no one get's on our case about it," he explained proudly.

"Oh," she blinked, unsure how to react. "Um... ok. Is that... good or, bad?" Honestly, Mystique didn't know what to make of this.

"Huh... guess it depends who yer askin'," Squint replied, shrugging. 'If yer' one'a the people gettin' pillaged, probably a bad thing. But if your askin _us_, its a good thing,"

"So... a good thing, then?" Mystique repeated.

"Yeah, let's just go with that," Squint replied.

"Think of it this way, sheila," Raz suggested. "Would you rathah' be protected or _un_protected?" Mustique gulped.

"Um, protected," she replied. Raz nodded.

"Then bein' on our side is good fer' ya'," she clarified.

"Ok... I guess I have to trust you," Mystique accepted.

"Nah, just trust _me_," Squint snickered. "And you'll be _juuuust_ fine,"

"Ok... so now what?" the doe inquired.

"Well..." Squint thought it over a moment. "How 'bout we get around to introductions?" he suggested. Mystique gave a nod.

"Okay," she agreed. Squint grinned and pointed to the badger who had brought her water.

"The flag is Gupta, the scout is Silas, the heavyweight ram is Dobson, the giant bag of pudding is Flynn, and Raz of course is our captain and sister figure," he explained, gesturing to each member of the crew. Mystique nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "Guys, this is Mystique; she's gonna' be staying on board for a while," the grey buck finished. Mystique waved shyly, again feeling insignificant and exposed. Gupta gave her a quick once over.

"I said it once, I'll say it again. You're _way_ to skinny," he declared, crossing his arms. Squint glared at him, before turning to his sister.

"Oh Raaaaaaz..." he prodded with a grin. She held up a paw, rolling her eyes.

"Don't even ask. Cuz' I reall'eh don't care," she cut him off.

"Um... care bout what?" Mystique inquired nervously.

"_DUH_!" Squint laughed joyfully. "Tonight's party night!" Mystique blinked, unfamiliar with the word.

"Party?" she asked.

"Yeah; you get together with a group of friends and eat good food and dance and sing and act like an idiot," Squint explained matter-of-factly.

"What is...dancing and singing?" the doe inquired.

"Well...dancing is just making cool movements to a song's beat, and...singing is...talking musically," Squint explained with less vigor.

"What's a song? And what's music?" the doe continued. Squint sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You have _so_ much to learn," he muttered.

"Hey! I-Its not my fault!" she protested. "I-"

"We know, Sheila. You was locked up yer' whole life. Spare us th' sob story," Raz interrupted, rolling her eyes.

Mystique merely dipped her head respectfully and asked "Ok. When does this 'party' thing start?" Squint sent his sister a tiny glare; he knew Mystique was ashamed of her lack of knowledge, and Raz wasn't helping. He placed a consoling paw on her shoulder, grinning softly.

"Hey, don't sweat over it," he assured. "Just stick with me; I'll show ya' how it's done," Mystique gave a small smile.

"O-okay," she agreed.

* * *

><p>Mystique, though grateful for their hospitality and welcoming her, couldn't help finding her hosts a bit... loud. Very loud. So far, she'd been amused greatly by songs- quite the magical concoction of a variety of nice sounds and words spoke in a very different manner, called 'singing'. She'd sat on the sidelines and watching, clapping quietly to herself every time. However, she couldn't help feeling hesitant; she had no idea what to do in order to fit in. The pirates all seemed right at home with their music, and all had their own place in the celebration. But Mystique... well, what was she to do with herself?<p>

She couldn't make any music, and she had no idea how to alter her voice into songs like they did. She sighed, resigning to just watching the fun. It was the better than being alone by a long shot. Even if she wasn't participating, she was still enjoying herself. However... it would be nice to join in the fun, if she had a clue how...

That was when she saw her Fearless One approaching her.

He was smirking deviously as he stopped, standing tall with his paws on his hips before her as she sat on a block of ice. She dipped her head nervously as he approached, glancing back at his crew. They didn't seem to notice he'd left, continuing their current song animatedly. "You get music, right? The beats, the notes, the tunes, the verses, the choruses, the bridges, and whatnot?" he asked. Mystique gave a slow nod.

"Yes, generally," she replied slowly. Squint's grin widened.

"Good," he replied, before gripping her arm and hauling her to her feet. "Cause now were gonna' _teach_ ya'," Mystique's golden eyes widened fearfully.

"T-teach me what?" she stuttered.

"Music, duh! How to sing, how to dance, and hopefully how to play," Squint replied. The doe hesitated, wringing her paws nervously.

"Oh, well...is it hard?" she asked nervously. Squint gave a laugh.

"Not remotely!" he insisted. "Unless you have a problem with timing, or staying on key. But it's all about fun and freedom of expression," he assured.

"Well...I suppose, if...I guess..." Mystique's indecisiveness was cut short as Squint suddenly hooked one arm under her knees and wrapped the other around her shoulders, heaving her up bridal style. The doe gave a squeak and wrapped her arms around his neck with surprise and fright. The buck merely chuckled and carried her over into the firelight, where the song was emanating from loudly. Her fear only grew; would they _force_ her to sing and dance? What if they ridiculed her? What if they laughed at her? To her further confusion, Squint placed one paw over her ears and held his head to her chest protectively. What was he planning _now_?

"_ALRIGHT EVERYBODY_!" the buck suddenly yelled, catching his crewmates' attention and stopping the song. She gave a slight wince, now glad for his gesture. He then hefted her into the air slightly, declaring, "Were gonna' teach Skinny here how to sing!" She couldn't help squeaking in surprise and squirming indignantly as they all turned to look at them.

"_Pumme'downpumme'downpumme'down_!" she wailed, effectively wriggling away and dropping to the deck. It didn't hurt all that much, but she still winced.

"Whas with ya', then?" asked Raze, chuckling, clearly amused. "Stagefright?"

"I-I..." Mystique gave a sigh, picking herself up. "Its not that I don't _wanna'_ learn... but what if, what if I'm no good?"

"Well, we won't be findin' out aneh'time soon if ya don't _try_, now will we?" the jill reasoned.

"I-I guess not," Mystique replied nervously. "But...where to start?"

"Simple; gimme an 'ah'," Raz commanded. Mystique tilted her head confusedly.

"...Ah?" she asked. The group laughed. Raz tried to continue teaching through her own chuckles.

"No no, look, sheila; when ya' sing, ya' draw out all yer' vowels. Ya' have ta' make yer' vocal cords vibrate a lot more than when ya' talk; you should feel _somethin'_ in yer' throat when ya' do it," she instructed.

"O-Ok, I guess..." Still feeling hesitant, she tried a second time, trying to shape her vocal chords differently. She couldn't help closing her eyes, knowing she probably looked silly, but this was the best way she could focus. "Like this?" she jumped a little in surprise. The frequency sounded different and her voice more flowy. Raz nodded, looking almost... pleased. Almost.

"Alrigh'... looks like you might just be a fast learner. Now, mm... just work on makin all yer words sound like tha'," she replied.

"Yeah," Squint agreed. "Yer' throat'll kinda tight'n right about... here," He laid a finger on her neck to demonstrate.

"T-_tighten_?" Mystique questioned nervously, paw lifting to her throat as Squint's moved away.

"Yeah; you have to push air through so the sound comes out, block the back of your throat with your tongue, and let your jaw drop," he explained. Mystique blinked.

"Wait...if you block your throat with your tongue, then how does-?" she started confusedly.

"Just do it, sheila," Raz cut her off.

"Yeah, do all that stuff and sing a random note," Squint encouraged. Mystique took a deep breath to calm herself, closed her eyes, and did as Squint had advised. She pushed the air out as she had before, but tried to change the pitch, taking Raz's advice and singing 'ah'. She held the note for a moment out of curiosity, enjoying the sensation in her throat, until she ran out of air. Upon opening her eyes, she saw the entire crew staring back at her, wide eyed and slack jawed. Squint, who had previously stood in front of her, was laid on his back, feet in the air as though he'd been punched. He sat up after a moment, blinking.

All remained silent, which only served to make Mystique feel as though she'd embarrassed herself again. "Dude...that's the highest A I've ever _heard_!" Squint exclaimed. "And the loudest...and the strongest," he added, patting the side of his head.

"Um... is that a- a good thing?" Mystique stuttered.

"Uh, yeah!" Squint jumped to his feet, though he seemed a little unbalanced. "That was awesome!" She blushed and wrung her hands nervously, glancing down with a sheepish grin.

"Oh, th- thank you,"

"No' bad, Ah'll admit," Raze nodded, touching one sensitive ear gingerly. "But, ah, how's about we work on yer pitch anothah' time, huh?" The boys all seemed to perk up at this, giving their captain with expectant, hopeful glances. She nodded, smiling. "Alrigh' boys, dinnah time!" Mystique tilted her head curiously; 'dinner' was a new word to her as well. It appeared to be a meal of some sort, as Squint and his friends were all running toward one of the ship's fruit mountains.

She shyly approached Raz, twiddling her thumbs nervously. "Um...Raz?" she asked quietly.

"Aye?" her superior replied disinterestedly.

"U-um...I was wondering; what exactly is "dinner"?" Raz turned to look down at her, blinking in shock for a moment.

"It's the evenin' meal," she replied slowly. Mystique tilted her head.

"So, you eat in the evening instead of high noon?" she inquired. Raz blinked once more, face scrunching in confusion.

"Sheila, there are three meals in a day; breakfast, lunch, and dinnah'," she explained, holding up three claws accordingly. Mystique blinked, surprised by such a concept.

"Oh...well, I uh..."

"You what?"

"Well, it's the same old answer...I've been locked up for twenty years, my parents only feeding me once a day," Raz's eyes widened as her jaw dropped in shock.

"Yer' kiddin'," she muttered. Mystique shook her head solemnly.

"No...every day, I was allowed one walnut full of water and a carrot, or sometimes if I got lucky, some celery. But... that was all,"

"I..." Clearly, Raz didn't know what to say as they decided to join the boys, though standing back from rough housing to munch. Raz had picked her up and set her along one of the edges, settling down beside her so they were eye level. "So...seriously? Yer _fam'ly_ fed ya' _once_ a day?" Mystique nodded, nibbling an odd little red fruit she'd found. It was heart shaped, plump and juicy, rather sweet. It had a bunch of tiny little orange-brown things embedded in it, that all had a pleasant crunch to them.

"Yes. You eat three times a day?" she inquired.

Raz nodded, thoughtfully chewing a red apple, muttering, "Now I wanna knock yer parents flat... an' then some,"

"Why?"

"_BECAUSE_!" she exploded. "Yer' parents are supposed to take care of ya - y'know, love ya, make sure yer fed, that kinda' thing."

"Did _your_ parents do that for you?" It was an innocent question, but Raz glared at her.

"None'a yer business," she replied bitterly.

"Oh... I- I'm sorry," Mystique muttered guiltily.

"Mm," Raz hummed, turning to the waves. For awhile, there was an awkward silence, Mystique feeling grittier and grittier. But she hadn't any experience in the field of apologizing - or the field of _anything_ for that matter - so she instead asked another question.

"Raz... what's this food called?" The larger creature's gaze flicked over to her, before angling down to the fruit in her paw.

"It's a plumcot,"

"Um..." Now Mystique felt even more lost than before.

"A plum and apricot mixed togethah'," Raz explained further. With that she hopped over and grabbed one of each, holding them out for Mystique to observe. "This is an apricot, and this is a plum," she explained. The apricot was a bright, yellow color, while the plum was a deep purple, like the two females. Raz nodded to the fruit in Mystique's paws. "That's what happens when the two of 'em are crossbred," The doe gave a slow nod.

"Oh...how do you know all that stuff?" she inquired. Raz blinked, regarding her for a moment, before a tiny, sly grin crept onto her face.

"I've been all ovah' the world, sheila," she replied. "I've learned a good lot of things in my travels," Mystique nodded slowly, hoping to someday gain as much knowledge as Raz from traveling. She gave a small smile in return.

"Well, either way it's delicious," she replied. Raz gave a nod and sat down, biting into the plum. Mystique sat with her a few minutes, finding companionship in their less tight bond, before deciding to walk over and grab another piece of fruit. Perhaps her Fearless One would be able to tell her why Raz was so touchy about her parents.

Speaking of her Fearless One, suddenly, he zipped up right next to the two with a greeting of, "Hey guys! Sup?"

"I didn't know two fruits could _mix_!" exclaimed Mystique happily in reply. "Is it only plums and apricots? Or can other do it to? What _are_ the other fruits? Are they good?" Squint chuckled.

"Whoa, sloooow down there girly. You always ask this many questions?" he teased. Mystique blushed.

"Um... I don't know,"

"You... don't _know_?" Squint repeated incredulously.

"Well... I've never really had anyone to talk to. So I've never really asked any questions, so if this is normal I don't know it yet..." Mystique replied with a shrug. They both stared at her a minute, before her Fearless One kept over onto his sister's shoulder, making himself at home and sitting down, leaning into the crook of her neck. "So, you two gettin along?" he inquired, dismissing the matter.

"Oh, um..." Mystique trailed off, fidgeting nervously.

"She's... curious," Raz said, studying her 'plumcot'. "Wants to know too much about everah'thin',"

"Oh. So in other words, she's been locked up forever, knows just about _nothin'_ about the world, and _you_ just have a tiny patience span?" Squint filled in with a grin. Raz swatted at him and he laughed, dodging her paw and rejoining Mystique on the rail. The doe giggled.

"Oh you shut up," Raz ordered playfully, rolling her eyes. "An' stop makin' fun'a my patience."

"Or lack thereof," Squint slipped in mischievously.

"Shut up!" Raz insisted. Mystique continued watching the two quarrel a moment, beginning to feel uncomfortable and stressed. Why were they fighting?! Weren't siblings supposed to get along and- and...

"Stop!" she suddenly cried as they continued back and forth. "Please don't fight!" The two stopped to look at her curiously.

"What's the matter with fighting?" Squint asked. "It's actually more of an argument; a fight in _this_ family is _way_ more physical. And brutal," Mystique wrung her paws nervously, feeling as though she'd overstepped her boundaries. "Besides, that's part of being in _any_ family," he reasoned further.

"Oh..." she muttered softly, a sad frown overcoming her expression. "I guess...I guess I'm not part of any family, then," she replied. "I've never fought with any of my siblings, or my parents,"

"_Never_?" Squint marveled. "Never _ever_?" Mystique shook her head.

"Never once. I was to be obedient, silent, and stay in my room at all times. I was always alone - there was never anyone to argue _with_," she explained solemnly.

"Tha's... d'pressin pipsqueak," Raz replied. Mystique shrugged.

"But... fighting is normal?" she inquired. They both nodded. "Ok... well, do you tend to do it often?"

"Well," Her Fearless One shrugged his shoulders. "Not me n' Razzie so much,"

"But he an' the boys 're _always_ at each others throats" Raz chuckled. "'Specially bunny boy 'ere and Gupta,"

"DON'T CALL ME BUNNY!" Squint screeched.

"Why no'? Ah'm th' boss here," Raz reasoned coolly with a grin.

"Yeah but-!" And they were at it again. Mystique gave a small, quiet chuckle, grinning. When she got down to it, the things they argued and fought over were rather humorous and trivial, and it was very entertaining to watch. She had no personal want to fight or argue with _anybody_ yet, but...if they said it was perfectly normal, then perhaps sooner or later she'd feel like opposing _someone_.

"_I already_ have_ opposed my_ father," she thought, remembering how she'd landed in her Fearless One's company in the first place. "_But...maybe he was just wrong; maybe it would do me good to meet others. They seem to be warriors of some sort; perhaps my Fearless One can help me control my powers,_" she speculated. "_I wish my father had thought like that,_"

"_ANYWAY_," Squint cut his argument with his sister short, turning back to Mystique. "You wanna' get some more fruit?" The doe smiled softly.

"I think I could eat constantly for the rest of my life and _never_ get full," she replied shyly. Squint sent her a crooked smirk, and Mystique's heart gave a strange, fluttering thump.

"You could use it it," he agreed. "Besides, you're gonna' need some meat on those bones if you're gonna' be staying _here_," With that he grabbed her paw and jumped off the railing, taking Mystique with him. She let out a quiet squeak, previously having thought the distance from the top of the railing to the deck to be dangerous. Her feet thumped onto the deck, and she lost her balance, falling to the side. However, Squint caught her easily, supporting her with one paw. She blinked and looked up at him, surprised at how..._fun_ the jump had been.

Squint smirked down at her, raising an eyebrow. "You alright, girlie?" he asked. Mystique's heart gave that fluttery thump again, and for a moment she could only stare with her mouth open.

"I...I..." she stuttered dumbly.

"Sheesh, you _seriously_ need to get out more!" he laughed, setting her back on her feet. "Haven't you _ever_ done anything fun before?" he asked. When she shyly shook her head, he muttered, "Great. The first time someone scares you yer' heart'll burst or something..." She squeaked at the notion, grabbing her chest. He laughed again. "Oh come on! Not _LITERALLY_!"

She let him take her wrist and drag her over to one of the many piles of fruit, all looking like a mountain of mouth-watering goodness to Mystique. "Mm..." She looked it up and down, admiring all the food.

"So, whatcha' wanna try first?" Squint inquired, spinning his knife.

"I'm not sure," she replied thoughtfully, clasping her paws. Squint suddenly snapped his fingers.

"I got an idea!" he said, before diving into the fruit mountain. Mystique tilted her head, watching the pile shake and shudder, before a large, green oval was shoved out at her. With a small squeak she dodged, jumping to the side and landing in a crouch. At that moment Squint emerged, landing on the deck with both feet. He grinned upon seeing her position. "I see you've got at least _some_ skill, girlie," he noted. Mystique blushed, standing properly.

"So...what _is_ this?" she asked, gesturing to the green fruit larger than her own body. Squint walked over proudly and leaned against the fruit, smirking at her.

"This, my dear friend, is called a watermelon," he explained.

"It's _huuuge_..." Mystique marveled. She tentatively reached forward and knocked on it. The cool green she'll made a hollow sound. "And _hard_. How do you expect us to eat this?" she inquired.

"You don't eat the outside!" Squint chuckled, before shoving his knife hilt deep into it with a squelching sound, a cool, sweet aroma wafting out towards her. "You eat the _inside_!" With that, he cut out a triangle shape about half as big as she was, revealing a bright pink fruit.

"Ooh..." Reaching out, she took a pinch off the tip, tucking it in her mouth. It was sweet and very wet, and very soft in her mouth. "This is good!" she exclaimed. The buck grinned and held it out to her. Mystique took it clumsily into her own paws, juice dribbling down into her fur.

"A-are you sure I can eat _all_ this?" she questioned nervously. Squint grinned and flipped his knife around so that he gripped the blade, before poking her stomach the the hilt.

"I stand by Gupta; you're _way_ too thin," he replied. Mystique couldn't help jumping slightly; Squint's knife scared her, in all honesty, and she wasn't used to people touching her stomach. In fact, she wasn't to others touching her at _all_. Perhaps that was why, when Squint had rescued her, she accepted being carried so easily; it was the first caring, positive contact she'd had with someone in a long, long time. And she had no quarrel with him guiding her by the paw; his intent was never to hurt her, she could tell, and he always protected her. For the first time in twenty years, Mystique had found someone she could completely trust. "Besides, that stuff's delicious; it's hard to _stop_ eating it," he added.

"It's...a bit messy," she commented, eyeing her drenched arms. Squint shrugged.

"Yeah, that's kind of their only downside...but you get used to avoiding it," he replied. "Besides, you can just lick it out anyway; it's still food," Mystique grinned.

"Is that what you do; lick fruit juice out of your fur?" she questioned with a giggle.

"Well _duh_, if I didn't it would go to waste," Squint replied. The two laughed for a moment, then Squint cut himself a hunk of the watermelon, before sitting cross-legged on the deck. "Come on, sit down and relax," he encouraged. "You're safe with us," She obeyed, sitting down cross legged and taking a proper bit of her watermelon. She couldn't help giggling as a drip of juice slid down her chin, and then her neck. He was right, she discovered - it was hard to stop eating this stuff.

"This is so good..." she murmured to herself. She didn't even care that in an hour or so she'd probably be a sticky mess. "Do you eat watermelon a lot?"

"Well sure," He tossed the green skin bottom over the edge. "We _live_ on fruit," the buck added with a shrug.

"Wow," Mystique swallowed another bite, noticing it becoming gradually less sweet as she neared the whitish fruit near the green base. "What _are_ all the different fruits? I'm guessing there are lots," she questioned.

"Yep," Squint confirmed. "You wan' another piece?" She glanced down, finding her fruit all gone. Blushing, she tossed it away as well, before nodding. "Yes please," So he cut them both another slice.

As Mystique continued enjoying the wet fruit - she could now see why they called it a _water_melon - he said, "So, you wanna know 'bout fruits huh? Ok, well, there's lot's of different kinds. There's melons, like watermelon and honeydew melon, and cantaloupe. Then there's stuff like apples and bananas and pomegranates, and then there's berries like blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, grapes..." Squint explained. The list of fruit went on and on, fascinating Mystique. As Squint talked, he periodically cut them hunks of watermelon, until they'd eaten the entire thing. "Looks like we're out," the buck noted, before standing.

"I'll grab another one," he declared. Mystique blinked in surprise.

"Another one?" she asked. "But...the first one was so big..."

"Are you still hungry?" Squint asked, laying the blunt edge of his knife on his shoulder. Mystique dipper her head shamefully, placing a paw on her stomach. In all honesty, she was beginning to realize just how thin she was, and that her new companions weren't at all making fun of her. Plus, after twenty years of only one walnut shell full of water and a single carrot (possibly a little celery), not to mention her time on board the other ship with no food at all...hunger was starting to make itself her constant companion. She'd grown used to the small portions her parents had given her, but her imprisonment had served as a wake-up call of sorts. Even back in her bedroom, she'd been wasting away to nothing, and the abundance of food offered to her here was awakening her appetite and her taste buds. She nodded meekly, and he buck gave a smug grin. "I thought so,"

And so he retrieved another watermelon, serving Mystique before himself. "Thank you," she instantly took another bite of the wonderfully juicy fruit. "I appreciate it," Squint chuckled, sitting down beside her this time, rather than in front of her.

"No sweat - I'd be hungry all the time too if I was in yer' position," Mystique giggled in response, before tilting her head upwards. It had gotten dark, the stars and moon glimmering in the sky.

"I just love the stars... they get prettier every time I see them," she commented.

"Huh?" the grey buck looked up. "Yeah, they're kinda nice," he agreed.

"I think they're _gorgeous_..." the doe murmured, more to herself than anything. She reached out one paw. "Someday, I'm gonna bring one home. I'll go somewhere so close I'll pick one right out of the sky... that one," she pointed to a particularly small star. "That tiny one,"

"Um..." Squint looked in the general direction she was pointing. "I...oh, you mean _that_ one? The super tiny one?"

"Yep," Mystique affirmed with a nod. "Someday, I'll find the tallest mountain in the world. I'm gonna climb it and pick my star, and then I'll bring it back to my family. Then they'll see,"

"See what?" Squint asked, tilting his head.

"That I'm not a monster," Mystique replied softly, lowering her arm as her expression became sad. "That I can do something _good_, that I'm not _dangerous_," Squint snorted.

"Believe me girlie, you're _definitely_ dangerous. It's how you use it that decides whether or not people are afraid of you," he replied.

"But that's just it!" she exclaimed helplessly. "I don't know _how_ to use it! I mean, my parents forbid me to even think about my powers. I barely have any idea how they work or what they do - let alone how to _control_ them!"

"Alright, alright!" Squint said, putting his hands up. "No need ta freak out on me,"

"Oh..." she sighed. "I'm sorry...I just..." He placed a paw on her arm. And she couldn't help but five a tiny smile.

"I'm sorry...didn't mean to make ya' freak out like that,"

"That's ok... I just wish I knew what I was doing!" Mystique moaned. He smiled back at her.

"Well, if its worth anything, I'll help ya learn," he offered. Mystique's eyes widened hopefully.

"You, you will?" she asked. Squint grinned and gave a shrug.

"Sure, I mean come on; I'm the Fearless One. Who else is gonna' help you?" Mystique smiled softly, before her eyes traveled down to the grey paw resting on her arm. Head tilted in curiosity, she gently lay a finger over the paw, tracing one of the main bones gently. Squint remained silent, watching her intently, head tilted like hers. After a moment he gently lifted his paw up, pressing his fingertips to hers. Mystique stilled, before pressing her palm to his.

A warm sensation spread over her paw, traveling up her arm in a tingling fashion. Her mouth widened into an open grin as her eyelids lowered halfway. Squint smiled softly back at her, as if experiencing the same thing. The tingling in her arm intensified for a moment, before a strange force wedged itself between their paws, emitting a strange, bright orange glow. Both rabbits leapt apart with identical yelps, grabbing their affected paws fearfully.

"What the cheese-?!"

"What in the world?!"

"_WHAT JUST HAPPENED_?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Ta-da! This is up sooner than I expected! Well, I was home sick from school today, so I got as much work done as I could and now I have a ton of free time! Thinking about how long this chapter is, I think it would probably take the same amount of time to read it as to watch it as a movie scene. But I could be wrong. XD And we have barely begun to scratch the surface of the <em>good<em> stuff... Thank you to:**

**Bombina (now IceDynamiteDragonStars)**

**for reviewing the previous chapter! Plz review and let me know what you all thought of this one!**

**In Christ Alone,**

**KaylaDestroyer (Gal. 2:20)**


	9. Chapter 9

Mysty Waters

Eyes Opened

Chapter 9

Massaging her paw, which was now tingling uncomfortably and totally numb, Mystique raised her eyes to her companion. "I...what..." she murmured nervously.

"I..." Squint attempted to reply, seeming as lost as she was, examining his own paw. "...Any idea what just happened?"

"N-nope," the doe replied shakily, stunned and frightened. "I-it felt like something pushed us apart."

"Yeah... almost like we're _not_ supposed to touch..." Squint trailed off thoughtfully.

"But nothing happened when you touched my arm," Mystique pointed out. Squint thought pensively for a moment.

"It could have been a reaction to something," he suggested, eyes widening slightly. Mystique's eyes copied accordingly.

"A reaction to what?" she inquired warily. The buck shrugged.

"I...I don't know. Maybe it has to do with those memories I've been having..." he added thoughtfully. The two bunnies pondered over the event for a moment, trying to massage the feeling back into their paws. "Maybe we should-" the buck began.

"Try again?" Mystique finished. Squint grinned.

"I'm very practiced at sneaking," he declared.

"Nobody pays me any attention, anyway," Mystique replied. They both agreed it'd be best to _not_ do something potentially dangerous in the presence of Squint's overprotective sister who wasn't particularly fond of Mystique already, so they decided to find somewhere secluded. One of the below deck storage rooms proved sufficient. Mystique found Squint was right - his brothers were still enjoying their supper and Raz was still watching the waves, so it was easy to get away. They found themselves crouched behind a large shell of mangoes, staring at each there in the gloom. "Um..." Mystique fidgeted, slightly nervous. She didn't know what to expect.

"You ready?" she asked. Squint shrugged.

"Guess so." He held up his paw, the same one from before. "How bout you?"

"I... guess I kinda don't have a choice." She raised her own paw, taking a deep breath. "Lets do it." They started slow, first pressing their pointer fingers together, then connecting their thumbs, then the rest. After their pinky's had been introduced, their palms pressed together. It didn't take long for something to happen. At first it was gentle hum in the air, then a crackle.

They watched their paws in the darkness...which was becoming not-so-dark. A strange, almost other worldly blue light began to glimmer beneath their palms, slowly spreading out into the air, humming and vibrating loudly. By now they were both shaking, unable to pull away, forcefully held together. "Wh-what's happening?!" Mystique squealed, tugging at her own wrist with her otherpaw, her partner copying. But their paws wouldn't budge.

"I don't know!" Squint replied in a fearful tone. The blue light between them was almost blinding, and Mystique had to close her eyes, turning her head. It just so happened she turned in the direction of a port hole, and could see the sky outside broiling, pulsing with the same strange blue energy. Then the same force from before came on again, much stronger and threw them in opposite directions, the blue light vanishing with a zap of electricity. The two bunnies sat panting, clutching their paws once more. "Whoa...that was weird." Squint commented.

"I hope no one noticed the-" Mystique began, remembering how the sky had looked.

"_JACKRABBIT_!" a fearful voice screamed. Squint winced.

"She noticed." Suddenly the ship rocked severely to one side, causing Squint to slide into Mystique. The doe herself slid so that her back hit the side of the ship, Squint falling towards her. The buck's eyes widened and he held his front paws out, desperately trying to stop himself from slamming his front into hers. Mystique's wide eyes stared at him fearfully, both rabbits squeezing their eyes shut just before impact. To their surprise, he stopped right in front of her, paws out, not even touching the wall. He somehow stood at an odd angle on the deck, tilted to the point where he shouldn't have had his balance.

* * *

><p>Squint opened his eyes, realizing that, while his paws could feel a physical force holding him back from Mystique, he <em>saw<em> nothing. He blinked in confusion, looking down at Mystique, who was staring uncertainly up at him. The ship suddenly righted itself, knocking Squint onto his back and Mystique on top of him. The bunnies let out identical "Oof!"s as they landed, Mystique's faced buried in Squint's chest. They remained as such for a moment, both dazed and tense, half aware of their position.

Raz's worried call of, "_SQUINT_! Where are ya'?! Come on, ansah' me _PLEASE_!" jerked them into action. Mystique sat up with a gasp, stumbling over her counterpart's legs as she attempted to stand.

"I'm _so_ sorry!" she whispered embarrassedly as the buck attempted to right his own self.

"Just get up before she get's in here!" Squint hissed with wide eyes. By the time they were properly separated, Raz appeared in the doorway and lunged across the room, grabbing Squint up with relief, hugging him to her chest.

"Oh Jackrabbit, what in the world were you _thinkin'_, sneakin' off like that?! There's a horrid storm goin' on and I thought ya' mighta' fallen off!" she exclaimed, holding him at arm's length.

"Um, well, we were just testing-" Squint began.

"_We_?" Raz interrupted, before her gaze shifted to Mystique. Her eyes narrowed angrily as she dropped her rabbit brother. By now the rest of the crew had joined them, inside the room by near the doorway. "I should have known; that sheila's been nothin' but trouble since she came!" Squint's eyes widened and his sister went to grab Mystique. The doe stood frozen, eyes wide with fear. He thrust both paws forward, as if to somehow protect her from a distance.

"No _wait_!" he insisted, a surge of energy rushing through him. He gulped in a slight gasp at the odd sensation, before he jumped with shock at what took place next. When Raz's paw got within a foot of Mystique, an electric blue barrier appeared, encompassing the doe. It shoved Raz back a couple feet, but not enough to topple her to the ground. The room went silent with shock, Raz eyeing the doe for a moment.

"I see ya' have a defense mechanism," she sneered. Mystique shook her head, trembling.

"Th-that wasn't m-me," she stuttered. "E-even when my powers work without my conscious consent, I-I _feel_ them working." Everyone remained ponderously still for a moment, before turning to Squint. The buck turned his palms upwards, staring down at his paws fearfully.

"Squint..." Mystique asked slowly, turning to look him straight in the eye, awed and surprised. "Was that... was that _you_?" Her partner shrugged numbly, obviously at a loss for what to say.

"I-I dunno. It..._felt_ like it was...but how could I...?" he muttered quietly, feeling lost and confused beyond all measure. Mystique shrugged as well, just as lost.

"I- I don't know," she replied shakily. By now Raz was glaring at the both of them.

"Well neithah' do I, but 'Ah wanna' know. _Now_." But both rabbits were at a loss for what to say. Mystique took a careful step toward Squint, expecting Raz to make another grab for her. But the jill held her ground.

"Squint...can we try the...um...?" She muttered

"The what? 'Cuz I'd prefer we not do that again. That was freaky," Squint replied.

"No... the looking; searching," Mystique explained. "May I?"

"Um, mon amis?" Silas interrupted. "As curious as I am about mon frere's newly discovered abilities, we still have the issue of the odd storm outside," he reminded, pointing out the porthole window with one wing. Eyes wide, Squint sprinted over to the window, which was larger in area than he was, ocean spray attacking his face. The black clouds roiled above with angry vigor, supernaturally blue arcs of lightning streaking through them. He could feel the storms energy getting stronger and stronger, his chest tightening accordingly. He took a deep breath and clenched his fists, closing his eyes as he exhaled. He felt and heard the same, otherworldly blue lightening tackling around his paws, and raised his fists in an x-formation across his face.

With a snapping force he separated them, opening his paws as the lightning disappeared, effectively dissolving the storm outside.

* * *

><p><strong>All of Thanksgiving Break, and I don't post until the weekend after. I'm so terrible. XD Sorry I took so long postingChris chapter; MBSAVfan1 and I are still writing this story, but we're two or three books ahead of this point. We've been writing this for almost three years now. XD Thank you to:<strong>

**IceDynamiteDragonStars**

**For reviewing the previous chapter! Plz review and let me know what you all thought of this chappie!**

**In Christ Alone,**

**KaylaDestroyer (Gal. 2:20)**


	10. Chapter 10

Mysty Waters

Book 1: Eyes Opened

Chapter 10

Shock.

The best way to describe the following atmosphere in the room was shock. Everyone was staring at Squint with complete and utter disbelief, amazed. "Squint..." Raz murmured, dazed. "How did you..?"

"I..." Be glanced down at his paws, feeling as confused as they all looked. To be honest, he didn't entirely _know_ how he'd done that, or what had made him act in such a way; he'd been acting on pure instinct.

"Squint..." Mystique suddenly shot over towards him. "That was great! Did you see what you did?! You made the storm stop! It did exactly what you wanted and completely _vanished_!" She stopped her gushing a moment to blush, before promptly hugging him. "Y'know what this means don't you?"

"Um...I..." He still seemed to be processing the fact that she had her arms around him.

"It means I'm _not_ the only one!" she squealed happily. "You have abilities too!" Squint blinked a few times, processing what was so apparently true. He remembered the energy he'd felt when he'd wielded the blue lightning, the physical mass arcing around his paws.

"I don't...I don't understand..." he muttered. Mystique pulled back from the hug, holding his arms with her paws.

"Don't you _see_? It all makes sense!" she exclaimed. "This is why you're the Fearless One, why you're not afraid of me! You're just like _me_!" Squint held his paws up for inspection once more, jumping slightly when the blue lighting appeared again, circling up his arms to his shoulders with electrical crackling noises.

"What _is_ that?" Raz inquired reproachfully, bending down to their level.

"How does it work?" Gupta muttered, gently poking Squint's shoulder. He let out a yelp as his finger received a small shock, the space between it and Squint brightening with a blue tinge to the air for a moment.

"I don't know, but I wanna' find out," Mystique replied. "If you'd be willing to let me try," she added, looking up at Squint. The buck pondered for a moment, still unsettled with the discovery of his powers, but nonetheless swallowed thickly and gave a nod.

He wanted to know too.

With a deep, calming breath, Mystique fixed her eyes on his, trying to probe into the buck's mind. This time the process went much faster, the clicking sensation taking place almost immediately. Squint's nervous expression calmed, going from tense to sleepy in an instant.

Now they might be able to find out a little bit more about his past, and the origin of his powers.

"Squint... can you hear me?" This time, though she'd spoken aloud, he nodded. His movements were loose and unconscious.

"Yes." His voice was sleepy.

"Alright..." She stared into his eyes awhile longer, before closing her own. "Close yours too." He obeyed without complaint. Mystique found herself watching a blurry scene; it was hard to make out, like her eyes were teary. She rubbed them, but nothing cleared.

"Huh..." She looked to her right. Squint stood at her side, watching as well. But although he was clear to her, the buck was peering oddly, like he too was seeing everything through a screen of water. They could hear sounds and see moving shapes, but couldn't make out an apparent conversation. There stood two figures about their own size, watching a group of much smaller bundles. They were quietly moving around, and seemed to be...giggling.

Yes, the small blurry shapes were laughing innocently, as if they were children. Perhaps they _were_.

"Hey..." Squint's gaze wandered farther to the right. "That one's all alone." Mystique glanced his way, and found, indeed, there was another small blur, this one gray and popping against the green foliage of the forest, separated from the group. It wasn't moving, just siting there, but they could both tell it was alive. "What in the world... let's see if we can get closer." They agreed silently and approached the larger two shapes, until they seemed to be standing but an inch from them.

They took no notice, and Mystique strained her ears to listen. They were having a hushed conversation, but only a few words could be made out.

"...Don't want... hurt the others..."

"He... control..."

"Are you... really think...?"

"What're they _talking_ about?" Mystique whispered.

"How did _we_...end up...kit...that?"

"It sounds...familiar," Squint commented. Mystique's eyes widened.

"Well...we _are_ in your memory. Maybe that's stuff that you heard," she suggested. The buck turned to the left, and began slowly stepping towards the lonely, gray blur. Mystique followed, slowly taking his paw in hers. She noticed, as they approached, that the gray blur became clearer and clearer, revealing itself to be a rabbit kit. Squint's paw squeezed hers tightly, his arm shaking.

"Mystique, that...that's _me_..." he murmured. It was true; although the kit sported the chubby facial features of a young child, Mystique could see in him the defining features that would one day mature into the face of her Fearless One. The tiny kit sat on his haunches, chin in one paw, staring into a muddy little puddle at his feet. His expression was gloomy and dejected, misery surrounding him like a thick curtain that cut him off from the rest of the world. "W-why aren't I playing with my brothers and sisters?" he muttered, turning back to the larger group. Keeping a grip on Squint's paw, Mystique turned as well to see that the rest of the family had become clearer, although the surrounding foliage was still extremely watery. "What did my parents mean?" he asked, turning to look at her.

Mystique shrugged. "They probably knew about your powers," she replied. "Maybe you exhibited them as a kit, and they worried you would hurt the rest of your litter." Squint's gaze fell shamefully to the ground, ears and face visibly drooping.

"You think that's why they hated me?" he whispered dejectedly.

"Maybe, maybe not. I exhibited my powers several times, but it wasn't until my parents perceived them as extremely dangerous that they quarantined me," Mystique replied with a shrug.

"But...I- I don't... how could _rain_ be..." Squint struggled helplessly, looking back at the unclear image of his parents. Mystique could see depression welling up in him. She could relate - the thought of one's parents neglecting and pretty much abandoning them in their loneliness was enough to depress someone for life. "Squint..." She decided it was time they leave. "Wake up."

Mystique blinked, and found herself back on the ship, staring at a woozy, shocked Squint. "I... I..." he mumbled,blinking rapidly. Raz reached to touch his ears, but he flinched away from her.

"Squint.. are you ok?" she inquired, looking the slightest bit hurt. He shook his head numbly.

"N-no. No I'm _not_."

"What happened?" Raz continued, her anger having vanished. "What did you see?" Squint remained silent, staring into the air with a despaired expression.

"We didn't see a lot," Mystique replied, stepping up beside the buck, glancing uneasily at him. "It was a snippet from his kithood; his parents kept him separated from his siblings because..." She paused, glancing downwards for a moment. "They knew he had special abilities. They were afraid he'd hurt the rest of his litter, and if he didn't get a handle on them...I fear they planned to do something drastic." Silence engulfed the room's occupants, whether in speculation, mourning, or plain shock.

After a moment of cautious waiting, Mystique placed a gentle paw on his white chest, her fingers and palm sinking into his fluffy fur. "Squint?" she whispered. The buck blinked, green eyes coming into focus on her golden ones. His expression was no less depressed than before, and she could see a desperate want to cry in his eyes. "It's okay, now," she assured softly, letting her paw slide off. "You and I have both left those families behind; we found something better." He nodded, biting his lip.

"I just...I wish I had known," he replied softly. "I didn't know about any of that until _now_. I...I didn't know I could do that, I didn't remember my family at _all_, and I just..."

"Um, question," Raz spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "Exactly how young was Squint, when ya' saw him?"

"Why would that matter?" Mystique inquired confusedly.

"Well...he's been on the ship since he was about six months old," Raz replied.

"What..." Mystique marveled. "But... he looked much older in the memory..."

"By 'ow much, 'xactly?"

"Mm... he looked a good nine years old, I'd say." Raz shook her head firmly.

"Thas no' possib'l... yer' vision 'ad ta be wrong!"

"But it wasn't a _vision_!" protested Mystique. "It was his memory! It _had_ to be!"

"Well...he was _born_ on the ship, and he's been part of the _crew_ since he was six months old," Gupta piped up. "But, he spent much time off the ship before then." Raz held her chin ponderously, eyes slitted with concentration.

"That's true," she agreed "Once he was officially weaned, Zienna was ferryin' him off and on the ship all the time, makin' one trip eithah' to or away every few months. It was almost like...she was trying to _hide_..." She trailed off thoughtfully.

"So...my mom could have been ferrying me between the ship and some...foster family?" Squint asked, brightening at the notion. Mystique couldn't help but hope the same thing; if the rabbit family in his memory wasn't _biological_, then there was a chance his _real_ parents hadn't hated him.

"It is very possible," Silas agreed. "We were all very young when we became pirates; we out of the crew wouldn't have noticed if Squint's mother transported him constantly."

"I _do_ remembah' this..._lull_ in activity," Raz admitted thoughtfully. "Around the time Squint was born. We stayed anchored at this one spot 'til he was nine, committin' a whole ton of land raids." Squint's eyes widened.

"What if she dropped you off in a foster family, them convinced whoever your captain was at the time to stay anchored until she was ready to bring you back on board officially?" Mystique suggested, turning to the buck.

"It's plausible, but why?" Squint questioned. "Why would she move bet went he ship and some strange family for who knew how long before letting us set sail again? How would she even have gotten them to raise me in the first place? And _why_?" The room fell silent at that.

"Maybe she was trying to protect you, and you're ability," Mystique suggested, paw drifting down to clasp his. "Your gift is powerful Squint, and who knows; you _could_ have more than one. Your mother...could have been the one to pass them on to you by birth." Squint's face slackened with shock at such a notion.

"But...if that was true, then why...?" he asked, trailing off. His background was beginning to sound a bit too much like Mystique's. The doe seemed to sense this as she gripped his paw tighter to comfort.

"My mother...told me something once; about people like you and me," she replied. "It was during one of our few meal conversations. She said that...some need another with special powers to help unlock their own, and others can unlock them by themselves. And, if they don't do so within a certain time window, then they have to wait until the child comes of age for someone else to properly unlock their powers. I was obviously one of those who could unlock it on my own, but you..." Here she trailed off, thoughts clicking together in her brain. By the look in Squint's eyes, he was experiencing the same thing.

"That's what happened!" he exclaimed. "The storm, the thing with our paws; you...you unlocked _me_." Mystique gave a slow nod.

"Your mother hid you so that you would have to wait to unlock your powers, which generally would have been able to happen around the time you turned sixteen!" she replied. "She waited until you had passed the age of being able to unlock your power yourself so that no one would be able to exploit it!"

"But...who would want to exploit them?" Squint asked. "Who on the ship would know about them besides her?"

Mystique shook her head. "I don't know..." She turned to look at Raz. "Was there ever... anyone else? Anyone that could know anything about any of you?" Raz shrugged helplessly.

"No' that I know of. Th' only othah' person to evah' stay on board for a long period a' time would be our old captain - and far as _I_ know, he didn't know nothin 'bout 'em. Trust me, he woulda' tried to use them. Sounds like 'im, wouldn'tcha say?" Mystique nodded and have a shudder, wringing her paws thoughtfully.

"But that doesn't make sense... if his mother took him off so he wouldn't get his powers right away, how could anyone else know in the first place?" Squint himself wasn't sure what to make of all this.

"...Think it has anything to do with that... 'foster family'?" he suggested.

"Well, they were obviously her hiding place for you," Mystique reasoned. "Maybe being on this pirate crew was her cover story to find someplace safe to hide you. She must have been hiding you from someone _not_ on the crew."

"_Not_ on the crew?" Squint repeated confusedly. "You mean like...someone from her past? Someone out to hurt her?"

"Or _you_," Mystique replied. Raz suddenly gave a jolt, and then a guilty expression overcame her face. She reached back and brought one of her ears forward, stroking it and fiddling with its tip. Mystique tilted her head at the odd display, curious. "Um...are you okay Raz?" she asked. Everyone turned to the leading pirate, which only seemed to make her even more nervous.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," she muttered.

"You don't _look_ fine," Squint argued, raising an eyebrow. "You _look_like you know something." Raz sighed shakily as her ear-fiddling intensified for a moment, before she threw it back around her head, fists clenching nervously.

"Jackrabbit...do ya' remembah' _anythin_' about yer' mum?" she asked. Squint blinked, before peering thoughtfully at the deck.

"Um...no."

"Do ya' remembah'...that day when you were ten?"

"...Wasn't I ten for like, a whole _year_?" Squint replied, clearly not understanding. Raz gave a groan, crossing her arms tightly.

"Do you evah' wondah' _why_ yer' mum ain't still around? What happened ta' her?" she persisted, as though trying to jog his memory. Squint blinked, expression slackening.

"I...never really thought about it. I just assumed she...left," he replied with a shrug. Raz gave a light scoff.

"She left alright..." she muttered.

"I assume _you_ know what happened to her?" Mystique asked, eyebrow raised. Raz gave another sigh, expression turning melancholy. She looked Squint in the eye, and when she spoke, her voice was soft and apologetic.

"Just after you turned ten, yer' mum took a last minute trip into the continent before we set sail. When nightfall rolled around, and she hadn't come back yet...Gutt sent me to look for her." Here Raz gave an indifferent shrug. "I was pretty little, but my mum approved. She hated me, honestly; hoped I'd kill myself somehow." Raz's gaze became far off as she continued her ominous tale. "I found her...layin' on the ground, bleedin' her life away, gaspin' and tryin' to get up...to come back to you."

She flicked her eyes to Squint with a meaningful gaze.

Squint's face slackened with shock at this point, and Mystique squeezed his paw tightly. "When she saw me, she begged me to come ovah' and...and listen to her. She'd been ambushed, caught off guard, and tortured to the point where she was barely alive. The only thing that kept her going was...trying to protect her only kit." Mystique felt Squint tense beside her as his eyes widened. She herself was awed; it was very rare for a rabbit to birth a litter of only one. "She told me to take care of you...like ya' were my brothah'; which of course ya' _all_ are. And she said not to tell you what happened until you were older...when you would understand."

"She made me swear, at all costs, to protect you from someone called 'Acheme'. Then...then she passed on." Mystique's own mouth dropped in shock at the new piece of information, her paw releasing Squint's as he sank to his knees. Both rabbits stood or knelt in frozen shock, although for two totally different reasons. After a moment Mystique overcame herself somewhat, covering her mouth with both paws and kneeling beside her Fearless One.

"Squint...I'm so sorry," the doe whispered, placing a consoling paw on his shoulder. The buck didn't seem to notice, his eyes staring straight ahead silently.

"She was killed...when I was ten?" he finally asked, looking back up at Raz. "She didn't just..._leave_ or _disappear_ or get separated...Someone _killed_ her?" Raz lowered her head almost shamefully.

"I'm sorry Jackrabbit," she whispered. "I can only assume that 'Acheme' bloke she spoke of was the one who killed her."

"Oh, _please_ don't say that's what happened!" Mystique begged, burying her face in her paws.

"...Why not?" she heard Squint ask after a moment. The doe slowly uncovered her face, turning to look at him, paws remaining over her mouth for a few more moments.

"My father's name is Acheme."

Squint's gaze snapped up to her, eyes wide with disbelief, shock, and most of all, sadness. "You...he-he _WHAT_?!" Mystique struggled on what to say.

"Oh Squint...I'm so sorry! I never...I mean, I know my dad thought my abilities and anything like them was dangerous, but-but..." Would he really go so far as to _kill_ someone? Mystique swallowed, her throat painfully dry.

"Y-yer' dad..." stuttered her poor Fearless One, not looking so fearless at the moment. "K..._killed_ my mom?"

"It... c'rtainly looks possible," Raz added in miserably, looking painfully guilty.

"Oh Squint..." whispered Mystique, trembling, tears quickly gathering in her eyes. "I'm _so_ sorry..." Inside, she was already bawling. Not only was she a dangerous monster, but there was another one in her bloodline.

"L-look, this is _all_ in speculation," Raz reasoned shakily. "There's probably a ton of creature's, maybe even rabbits, out there named Acheme."

"Oh, _COME ON_, Raz!" Squint exclaimed, jumping to his feet and throwing his knife down forcefully. "_HOW_ can you _POSSIBLY_ deny it? My memories support it, I clearly have special abilities, you all can give witness to the fact that my mom kept me off the ship for multiple amounts of time when I was born, and then there's this Acheme guy!" he raved, his blue lightning beginning to crackle around his paws. "He keeps his own _DAUGHTER_ locked away in a hole in the ground, hardly feeding or watering her, letting her waste away into nothing, _CLEARLY_ never intending to let her out! And then he goes and kills off my _MOTHER_, who obviously had some sort of special ability, which she probably gave _ME_!" By now the lightning was bouncing around him on the deck, frightening the surrounding pirates. "Do you even _KNOW_ what it's like to find out that you were raised for two years in a foster family that you can't _REMEMBER_?"

"To find out that your mom _DIED_ when you were ten, and for some reason you can't even remember _HER_ either? Do you _KNOW_ what it's like to find out _ALL_ of that, _AND_ the fact that you have weird powers, _AND_ the fact that the father of the girl you like killed your _MOTHER_, _ALL IN ONE DAY_?!" Squint's voice had escalated to a scream; the storm outside had returned, more ferocious than before, rocking the ship back and forth. His lightning bounced everywhere, miraculously hitting no one but coming uncomfortably close. Mystique let out several shrieks as bolts of the blue lightning arced around her, leaving dents wherever the struck the icy floor.

"Squint, PLEASE calm down! This isn't HELPING!" Raz insisted over the booming thunder.

"_CALM DOWN_?" Squint screeched. "I just found out my life is a _LIE_, and you want me to _CALM DOWN_?!" he punctuated the end of his question by flinging both arms out, sending enormous, twin bolts of lightning into the walls, frightening the crew even more. "You don't _UNDERSTAND_!" he continued, clenching his fists. "_NONE_ of you do!" he insisted, throwing said fists down and causing a blast of lightning that surrounded him briefly, other various bolts still arcing around the storage room. The group stepped back warily, staring with wide, fearful eyes.

"Even if I _DON'T_, that doesn't mean _I'M_ not shocked or sad eithah'!" Raz yelled back, straining to be heard. Mystique was in a distraught tizzy; her Fearless One, her equivalent of a knight in shining armour, was the son of the woman her father had murdered; tortured her and left her to die. Surely he hated her now, just like her father did. Mystique's heart gave an ominous crack at such a thought, and he clutched her chest tightly with a gasp. She'd never felt such pain in her entire life. The doe froze once more in her complete misery, tears streaking down her cheeks. Suddenly one of the lightning bolts flew directly towards her, eliciting a wide eyed look of terror from the future target.

She held out one paw with a scream, as if to defend herself, but her mind was too overcrowded with fear to work her telekineses properly. And this time, Squint was giving her no shield.

* * *

><p>Squint's mind was raging with hot, electrical fury. He'd never cared much to figure out his past; now he wished he hadn't. Having Mystique around wasn't so bad; she was actually a lot of fun to teach about the world that she'd been locked away from. And her special abilities could provide for much entertainment, if given the chance, he was sure. But everything he'd learned about himself, about his early life, about his mother; he wanted to forget it all now. Even his newly awakened abilities (which were kind of cool, when he thought about it) displeased him, serving as a reminder of <em>why<em> his mother had hid him, had _died_ to protect from Mystique's psychotic father. But his thoughts were changed with the sound of a single scream.

Eyes widening, anger receding, he watched with numb helplessness as one of the blue lightning bolts shot out for Mystique, who was mysteriously clutching her heart with a pained expression. She held out one paw to shield herself with a scream, before the bolt struck her throat with a terrifyingly loud crackle. She was thrown back against the wall, hitting the ice and sliding down to lay limply on the floor, unconscious. Maybe dead. The room instantly settled; the lightning disappeared, the storm outside vanished once more, and Squint felt his heart rate drop back to normal. All remained silent for a moment as he stared in horror, before a whisper escaped his lips. "...Mystique?"

"Oh no..." Raz watched her brother race cross the room in his typical blur-like fashion, coming to kneel beside the stricken doe. "Aw no..."

"Mystique?" He carefully felt her neck for a pulse. At his touch, a tiny shock of blue electricity flickered between them, buzzing in the air. He jerked his paw back. Then Mystique's eyes flew open, wide and dazed and full of fear. She clutched her chest and took in a wheezing, high pitched gasps, panting loudly. She clumsily scooted away from him as best she could in her injured, stunned state, holding her chest with one hand, using the other to support herself, still choking and gasping for breath.

Squint could only stare as she tried her best to put space between them, golden eyes afraid. He slowly glared down at his paws, fists curling in anger, regrets, and sorrow. "W-what've I done?"

* * *

><p>"<em>He hates me.<em>" Those three words ran persistently through Mystique's mind. Her Fearless One had attacked her, she was sure. Squint was angry with her now, she knew it. Her body trembled as she sat on the floor, supported by one paw, the other clutching her heart. It felt so broken, a fiery ache burning it. A zap of electricity jolted through her, shocking her heart into further pain and causing her to gasp loudly, before she resumed panting.

Squint knelt a few feet away, fists clenched as he stared at her with sad longing.

The rest of the pirates were frozen, all looking shocked and scared by the hectic past ten minutes. Mystique whimpered and sniffed as she lowered herself to the floor, laying on her side as when she'd been encaged, eyes staring blankly ahead. It was all over; there truly was no one in the world who didn't fear and/or hate her now. Her life was unraveled; she had nothing, and no one. Pain began to reverberate through her, bouncing around as thigh the lightning bolt which had struck her still remained inside, vying for an exit. She began to shake terribly, panting deeply. Squint continued to stare, the sadness in his face seeping to a drastic and confusing degree to poor Mystique.

"We've gotta' do something to heal her," Raz's voice floated over, seemingly from many miles away. "She's got a nasty burn on her throat; she may not be able to talk for a while." At this statement Squint's melancholy turned to fear, and he stood, slowly stepping away from Mystique.

"D-did I...b-but...I'd _never_...not to _her_..." he muttered as Raz's leg blocked him from view. Mystique felt a pair of gentle, humanoid paws pick her up, before she was shifted to a cradle against a large white chest. She allowed her head to lay in the soft, fluffy fur, which seemed to be emanating a loud, pumping sound. "Ooh..." she muttered dazedly, fascinated by the oddly comforting sound. Squint suddenly appeared on the shoulder of her ride, holding his knife loosely in one paw and gazing at her with extreme worry.

"She's gonna' be okay, right?" he asked nervously, his voice sounding as if it came from the far end of a long tunnel. "I-I mean, that was like, _magic_ lightning, type stuff, it wouldn't _necessarily _have damaged her that bad, right? I-I mean..." Suddenly another jolt shot through Mystique, and she jumped, gasping, before her world went black.

* * *

><p><strong>Well that heats things up a little bit! But believe me, it doesn't stop there. There are plenty of surprises yet to come...Some more shocking than others. Thank you to:<strong>

**IceDynamiteDragonflyStars**

**for reviewing the previous chapter! Plz review and let me know what you all thought of this one!**

**In Christ Alone,**

**KaylaDestroyer (Gal. 2:20)**


	11. Chapter 11

Mysty Waters

Book 1: Eyes Opened

Chapter 11

Mystique awoke somewhere strangely warm and comfortable. It was dark on all sides as her eyes weakly fluttered open, half closed and drowsy. Shifting around, her arms met something soft and plush. "_What...?"_ She opened her mouth to call out to her companions, but was surprised when no sound came out. She tried again, but she still could not speak. Instead she began to shift around, sitting up.

She felt around with her arms, still feeling disoriented and slow. Her memories were a bit foggy and she as a whole was woozy - what had happened? Perking her ears to listen, she was a bit surprised to find that odd, steady drumming sound coming from..._above_ her? She tilted her head, but saw only darkness. She attempted to stand, but suddenly, her surroundings gave a jerk and she jumped, startled. Then, a column of light appeared from nowhere and a familiar paw reached down, petting her head. "Mornin sheila, how ya feelin'?"

Mystique forcefully attempted to push air out of her throat, a strained gurgle being the only thing that came forth. "Whoa there, sheila; if ya' can't talk don't try," Raz's voice insisted. Mystique felt over her throat with confusion and fear, before looking up and holding her arms out to the light.

"Uh...huh...mm!" she pleaded. A chuckle was heard, then Raz's paws carefully reached in and took hold of her, lifting her out to be cradled in both arms.

"Poor little sheila; lost yer' voice," she pitied with a soft smile, stroking Mystique's throat with one claw. A horrified expression leapt into the doe's face, and she grabbed her throat with both paws.

"Ih...ah...eh...ih...ack?" she struggled. Raz laughed and began gently stroking her stomach, an act which strangely soothed Mystique. She settled down immediately, humming weakly with newfound pleasure.

"You'll get it back, sheila," she assured. "Sometime. We already got the burn to start healin' up; I'm sure yer' voice'll start workin' again about the same time." Mystique frowned, throwing her arms up and, dare she say it, pouting. Raz chuckled again, stroking her head. "It'll be alright," she consoled. "Iss' happened b'fore; it'll come back event'ally."

Mystique nodded unhappily. "Ack... uh... ickth!" Raz smirked, placing a finger over her throat.

"Don't try ta talk lit'l sheila; strainin yer throat'll just make it worse." As the doe nodded in compliance, the kangaroo snapped her fingers. "Ya' know what, I got an idea. Wonder if we go' any mint leaves lyin' around..." Mystique tilted her head in silent wonder; she was pretty sure leaves were those green things that grew on trees, but mint was an entirely new term altogether. Was it a type of tree? Or was it simply a plant of some sort?

She was suddenly lowered back into the dark confines she had awoken in, brain still unable to make the connection of where she was and how she'd gotten in there. She was awed to realize Raz had begun hopping, which explained the dramatic bouncing movement that took place next, and then she was lowered as Raz bent herself over, rummaging through something. Then she raised up and began hopping once more, calling out, "Jackrabbit! Boil me some watah'!" Mystique tensed; was Raz going to make her face Squint again? Didn't the buck hate her now? Why hadn't the group gotten _rid_ of her?

Whimpering silently, Mystique crouched down, flattening herself in the farthest corner she could. The thought of her Fearless one made her shake - both in sadness and fear. It was no secret she cared deeply for him, and after he'd attacked her; well, what else could be assumed? She was admittedly now fearful of him, and saddened deeply by his newfound dislike toward her. Sniffling, she quickly rubbed her watering eyes - what good would crying do? In reality, though, Mystique could understand his reasoning. After all, she was the daughter of his mother's murderer.

She'd hate her too if she were in his position.

Again, light flooded into the dark space and the two paws grabbed her, again cradling her against the warm white fur, the drumming sound much louder here. She couldn't help sighing and relaxing, enjoying the rhythmic sound. "Tha's a good sheila..." spoke Raz's voice from above her, surprisingly gentle. Mystique wouldn't lie - she liked this side of her authoritative figure much better. She was admittedly very surprised and rather astounded by her sudden caring, gentle demeanor. "Just relax... tea's almost done."

"Mm...?" Mystique murmured.

"Shh..." the jill ordered gently. "Don't strain yer' voice." Stroking her throat like before, she continued, "Tea's this hot type'a drink, usually made from boilin' herbs - it'll help yer' throat."

"Ah..." Mystique murmured, lifting a paw to her throat. Some of her fur had been singed off, and the skin was dry and sensitive. The inside of her throat wasn't too painful, as far as she could tell, but it was a little sore. When would her voice come back? Would Squint ever forgive her? And why was Raz suddenly being so kind to her? She was so protective of Squint; surely she too would hate the daughter of his mother's murderer.

"I'm gonna' have to put you back inside to fix yer' tea, alright?" Raz muttered softly, voice surprisingly kind and gentle. Mystique tilted her head; did she mean that plush, dark place the doe had woken up in?

"Eh?" she asked hoarsely. Raz smiled and shifted her into a one-armed cradle, holding the doe so she could look downwards. Mystique was greatly surprised and intrigued to see Raz slip her thumb in between her stomach and some extra layer of flesh and fur that stuck to it, pulling the excess a few inches away to reveal a small room/space within.

"It's mah' pouch," she explained proudly. "That's normally where I store all our crew's weapons for when we go into battle." Mystique gazed at the pouch with wonder, before turning to Raz's face and spreading her paws, shrugging in a gesture of 'why?' "Well I'm a roo, a _kangaroo_, and we roos are marsupials; the sheilas carry their li'l ones around in pouches for about a year until they're developed enough to move around on their own." Mystique nodded, eyes full of awe, before making a gesture for Raz to continue. "Well, the roo babies, we call 'em joeys, are born as tiny little blobs of...flesh, I guess. They're _way_ undah'developed, so they crawl up inside the mum's pouch to nurse and grow until they're ready to stay out for the rest of their lives."

Mystique's eyes widened, mouth dropping open. Raz smirked. "Interestin', ain't it?" she finished, before tenderly lowering Mystique inside the pouch, enclosing her in the safe darkness as she prepared the tea. In all honesty, Mystique could see why 'joeys' stayed in these pouches for almost the first year of life. It was warm, soft, and comfortable - and the steady drumming sound instantly put Mystique in a sleepy, content lull. She'd stay in here for a year too if she were given the chance as a baby.

* * *

><p>"Alright sheila, c'mere."<p>

Raz picked her up again a short while later, but this time set the doe on her shoulder. After making sure she had her balance, the small bunny leaning into her neck to further secure herself. Mystique was presented with a hollow walnut she'll full of a steaming green liquid, and she could't help but marvel the visible air drifting off in wisps. "Drink up, but be careful." Raz ordered. "Iss' hot." Mystique blew on it carefully before tentatively taking a small sip; it was indeed very hot, just ender the degree not to scald her tongue. She relished the hot drink trickling down her throat - it felt _so_ good.

Instantly her throat wasn't as sore, and she gladly continued sipping with caution. "Th-thank..." She took another determined sip and managed to rasp out, "Thank you..." Raz smiled and gently scratched behind her jaw; another new and extremely pleasant experience for Mystique. "Yer' welcome, sheila; but ya' gotta let yer' throat heal." The doe nodded and took a few more sips, sitting quietly on her companion's shoulder.

"He was real worried about you, ya' know." Mystique tilted her head curiously, blinking in surprise. Did Raz mean Squint? How could the one who hated her be worried about her condition?

"He kept askin' me ovah' and ovah' again if you'd be alright. He was so guilty about accidentally hittin' ya'...guess it'll teach him to keep his emotions in check from now on, 'eh?" she asked, turning to the doe with a smirk. Mystique merely blinked at her with wide eyes.

"_It was an _accident_?_" she thought. "_He didn't _mean _to hit me? Does that mean he _doesn't _hate me?_"

"You alright, sheila?" Raz asked. "Ya' look a bit shocked." She then raised an eyebrow. "Ya' didn't think he _mean_ ta' hit you, did ya'?" Mystique nodded slowly. Raz's expression became a mix of amusement, shock, and curiosity. "Why?" she inquired.

The doe could only shrug helplessly, unable to explain. "I..." she rasped hoarsely. Raz instantly shushed her strictly.

"No talkin 'til yer' throat's bettah'," she ordered. "An' I think ya oughtta' see Squint - he misses ya'." Mystique blushed.

Did he _really_?

Seeing as she'd finished the tea, Mystique allowed Raz to discard the wallnut shell, then lower her back into the pouch. The ride was anxious and luxurious at the same time; the dark, soft warmth of the environment soothed Mystique, yet the thought of meeting Squint made her nervous. She still had those odd, deep feelings for him; the ones that made her heart flutter when he grinned crookedly at her, or when he saved her from an everyday slip and fall, or perhaps pulled her into a new, wild experience. He was her first friend outside of her family, and he didn't fear her at all. The question was _why_ her feelings were so deep. She hadn't known it was _possible_ to feels such strong emotions; all she'd ever known were loneliness and longing, except for when her parents had visited to give her meals. Was it _good_ that she felt this way, or was it _bad_?

Did Squint feel the same way? He must like her just a little bit; Raz said he was worried about her. After a short while of hopping, she heard Raz call out, "Jackrabbit! Get ovah' here!" In an instant the gray blur that was her brother appeared on Raz's shoulder.

"Yeah Razzie?"

"Someone's awake an' wants to see ya'." Raz explained. Instantly his eyes lit up, both with happiness and worry.

"Really? She's up?! Is she alright?"

"Oh, the lil' munchkin's just fine. Lost 'er voice, though." she replied. Squint winced, knowing it was his fault.

"Really...?" His sister nodded, before opening her pouch and reaching inside, gently pulling out an anxiety-struck Mystique. Swallowing nervously, drumming her fingers together as she looked at her Fearless One. Confusedly, she found - with relief - that there was no anger or hatred on his face, only worry; though his eyes danced with happiness.

He grinned crookedly at her, leaning against his sisters' neck, crossing his arms. "'Sup?" he inquired, looking as peppy and deranged as ever; apparently he'd calmed down some. Mystique found the strength to give a weak smile back; maybe it was true. Maybe he didn't hate her. She opened her mouth to speak, but too late realized she couldn't yet do. So she closed her mouth and looked away shamefully.

In the next instant she feld a sharp set of claws gently press against her jaw, tilting her face up to Squint's. "_Is this better?_" his voice asked within her mind. Mystique blinked, before smiling once more. Squint grinned back.

"_Much,_" she replied mentally.

"_So how ya' feeling?_"

"_Much better, although my throat's a little sore._" Squint winced.

"Yeah, sorry about that," he thought back. "_I wasn't exactly taking the news very well...We pirates are kind of known for being like that._"

"_So pirates are dangerous people who steal and throw professional temper tantrums?_" Mystique thought-spoke with a smirk. Squint's expression dropped for a moment, before he sent her the mischeivous grin that often preceded an argument or fight between him and someone on the crew.

"_Hey! It's a _profession_! We steal to eat and fight for fun and sport! And we're very vocal with anger so people don't get the idea they can attack us,_" the buck replied. Mystique rolled her eyes and gave a raspy giggle.

"_I see,_" she thought back.

"Alright... whadda you two up to?" Raz  
>finally asked, having watched their silent expressions curiously. Squint blinked a moment, then shrugged.<p>

"Nothin'," he replied nonchalantly. "Just chit-chatting." Raz quirked a disbelieving brow.

"Without movin' yer' lips or makin' any sorta sound whatsoevah'?" she inquired skeptically. Squintpondered it for a just a moment.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it." he replied, shrugging once more.

"...Alright then. Sheila," Raz addressed Mystique once more. "Ya' hungry? Iss' almost lunch time; an' ya slept all a' yesterday and most'a today. Safe to assume ya' worked up an appetite?" she inquired. Mystique paused a moment, glancing down at her stomach. It gurgled, seemingly in response, and she smiled, nodding.

Raz and Squint chuckled, before the kangaroo began hopping over to one of the many fruit piles on the ship. Mystique rode on her other shoulder as they approached. Once their ride stopped, Squint reached across her throat and held out his paw. "_You ready?_" he asked mentally. Mystique's eyes widened. From Raz's shoulder to the deck was farther than the railing by double.

"_You mean we're going to _jump_? But it's so far!_" she thought back.

"_It'll be fine, trust me,_" he assured. Mystique shakily took his paw in hers, slowly, out of caution and fear. Squint wasn't nearly as slow to leap down once he had her. If it hadn't been for her lost voice, Mystique didn't doubt she'd be squealing in fear all the way down. It was only about a five second drop, but still; that was a long way! The impact sent a shock through her legs, causing her to tumble, tottering unsteadily. "Easy girly," Squint righted her by the shoulders.

"Dont go face planting before we even get lunch!" The siblings snickered as Mystique blushed, looking down sheepishly and wringing her paws.

"_In my defense, I've never had to jump from seven feet off the ground!_" she pointed out. Squint merely chuckled, slinging an arm round her shoulder. "Oh chill; we're just teasing. You need ta learn ta laugh!" he insisted.  
>Mystique heaved a mental sigh.<p>

"_Fine._" she agreed moodily.

Squint grinned crookedly at her and said, "Kay, you tried watermelon. Whatcha wanna try next?" The doe gave a shrug.

"_Didn't you say something about 'cantaloupe' last time?_" she thought. Squint gave a nod, before diving into the fruit mountain once more. He quickly reemerged with a fruit much smaller than the watermelon, but still of an impressive size to a rabbit. The outer skin was a greenish gray color, not quite as appealing as the watermelon's deep green. Mystique tilted her head curiously, wondering what _this_ fruit would taste like.

"Alright, well, while you two have your little 'mental' conversations ovah' fruit, I think I'm gonna' make some more tea," Raz said, before turning and hopping across the deck. As soon as Squint had cut out a large slice, the bright orange color of the inside instantly made it seem much more appealing. The smell was soft and sweet and a bit tangy. Mystique felt her mouth water as he handed her her own piece, before cutting some for himself. After they'd both been served, they sat down across from each other, just as the had the first night. "Well?" he spoke aloud. "Try it."

She nibbled the tip curiously. The orange fruit was sweet and wet, though not as much as the water melon. She took a proper bite and gladly chewed it, enjoying this tangy but sweet new taste. "Ya like it?" Squint inquired, grinning.

Mystique nodded and gave a smile, thinking back, "_Yeah, its really good._" He smirked.

"Toldja so." She would have giggled if it wasn't for her voice, and settled on just smiling at him. She till felt a bit on edge from their last encounter, but was much more relaxed than before. She was _very _glad her Fearless One held no distaste for her now. "_Squint?_" she thought spoke softly, hesitantly. He glanced up.

"Yeah?"

"_Thank you._" Squint looked just a bit confused.

"Uh... for what?" he inquired.

"_For not hating me,_"Mystique replied mentally with a shrug, glancing away. The buck blinked in surprise.

"_Why would I hate _you_?_" he asked aloud. Mystique shrugged, eyes slipping down to the cantaloupe in her paws.

"Well...my father killed your mother," she thought back. "_And, as a pirate, and a fighter, I just thought you'd be angry and hate me._" Squint blinked for a moment, as if caught off guard, before scoffing and waving a paw.

"Oh please; that's _petty_, even for a _pirate_," he assured. "Now I _have_ used close family as bait for revenge, but I don't _actually_ blame the child for the sins of the parent." Mystique tilted her head.

"_What...what does that mean?_" she asked mentally. Squint blinked, gazing at the deck confusedly.

"Uh...I guess it means that, even though somebody did somethin' bad, you can't take it out on their kid if _they_ didn't do the same thing..." he replied slowly. "I've never really thought too much about that before. Maybe we shoulda' left that mammoth's kid alone," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"_Where did you hear it?_" Mystique thought spoke, ignoring his thoughts aloud. Squint's eyes slowly slid over to meet hers.

"I...I don't know."

* * *

><p><strong>And there's chapter eleven! That was pretty quick. Hope you all had an awesome Christmas and enjoyed time with friends and family! Thankfully I'm on break until week after next, I think, so I should have enough time to post a few more chapters. Honestly, we're still on page three of the private message thread this story was originally written on. XD Thank you to:<strong>

**IceDynamiteDragonflyStars (as PixiePeacockPOW)**

**For reviewing the previous chapter! Plz review and let me know what you all thought of this one!**

**In Christ Alone,**

**KaylaDestroyer (Gal. 2:20)**


End file.
